What are the Factors that Affect on your Mental Health?

Mental illness affects 19% of adults, 46% of teenagers, and 13% of children yearly. Every single person experiences downtime in life and mental illness is a condition that affects your thinking, mood, and behavioral patterns, and every day feels like a struggle. It can be occasional or long-lasting but how one deals with it plays a vital role. So this article will discuss in brief the factors that cause mental illness. Feel free to consult a Psychologist online. Keep reading to know more about factors that cause mental illness. Happy reading!

Childhood abuse or trauma:

Experience of some traumatic events in childhood has a consequence on mental health in adulthood, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, traumatic life incidents, and much more. Many different phases in life can constitute the feeling of trauma. People often face childhood trauma because of some life-threatening incidents. And children with PTSD may also have problems with the following:

• Anger and Depression
• Anxiety
• Fear of Isolation
• Poor self–esteem
• Self-destructive behavior, and much more.

Domestic Violence:

Domestic violence and mental illness are interrelated, and usually, it is bidirectional. Most of this is seen in women, and according to mental health experts, Centres for Health and Healing, one in three women goes through domestic violence. Physical and emotional abuse is not stressful, but it’s psychologically damaging and increases the risk of mental illness. Women who have experienced domestic violence or abuse are at a higher risk of experiencing PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder), depression, thoughts of suicide, and anxiety.

Excessive intake of Drugs and Alcohol:

People use drugs and alcohol for many reasons, which can have a long-term impact on a person’s physical and mental health. Alcohol is a depressant, and it has a significant effect on your mental health. It slows your body and also impacts decision-making. Some of the side effects of excessive intake of drugs and alcohol are as below:

• Increase in aggression
• Irregular sleeping patterns
• Low energy levels
• Mood swings
• Increase in suicidal thoughts.

It can also cause some more health issues like:

• High blood pressure
• Heart Diseases
• Liver diseases
• Risk of cancer
• Brain Damage and a lot more.

Cultural Shock:

Adjusting to a new country and coping with changes can lead to stress at times and often lead to cultural shock. During this transition period, people may experience anxiety, homesickness, and fatigue, which can be due to changes in time zones. Some signs of culture shock are as below:

• Loneliness and tearfulness
• The feeling of vulnerability and powerless
• Overeating or loss of appetite
• Difficulty with social interactions
• Lack of confidence
• Over cleanliness
• Insomnia.

Social connections:

Our relationships with people are an essential part of life. Sometimes we experience conflicts with family members, so we are likely to feel stressed and overwhelmed with emotions. And the feeling of loneliness has affected most of us due to the pandemic situation and social interactions. All these affect our mental health on an immediate basis. Some ways to cure the feeling of loneliness are as below:

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• Be in touch with your friends and family.
• Enjoy your “Me time.”
• Develop new skills.
• Develop the habit of Journalizing.
• Try to heal and make yourself a priority.
• Try to introspect.

Toxic Relationships:

Toxic relationships can cause a severe threat to mental health. Sometimes it is tough to identify that someone is mistreating you in an abusive manner, which can lead to chronic depression, anxiety, and loss of trust. Here are some tips to get out of a toxic relationship that will help you to improve your mental health condition:

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• Be firm about how you wish to create with respect and loyalty.
• Set boundaries.
• Forgive, but don’t forget.
• Ask for help.
• Breaking old patterns.
• Make time for yourself and make yourself a priority.

Here are some reasons we go back to toxic people.

• Loneliness
• We think they might have changed
• They become comfortable and used to their behavior
• We are people-pleasers and don’t feel we deserve better

Stand firm and stop returning to toxic relationships that no longer bring you to hope or happiness.

Summary:

In these times of the Pandemic, be there for people, be kind to them, and be a good listener if you wish to do something for people with mental illness. Ask questions when they pause, do not interrupt, hug them and hold their hands, and honestly and happily listen to what they say. This can create a huge difference. Thank you!

Author Bio:

Mr. Viral Kotecha is an independent consultant pharmacist from Manipal University. He aims to serve his patients by preparing medications and multidisciplinary health care. And being a team player, he keeps his patients’ wellness and cares on priority. His experience working with the Mediflam team is exceptional, and it has helped him quickly navigate new terms and technologies in the Medical sector. As of now, he contributes to his team’s efforts to do related results as needed, and he also looks forward to planning and fulfilling the long-term and short-term goals at Mediflam.