Know your Mental Health Status
Many people feel comfortable talking about health conditions such as having high cholesterol, diabetes, or even covid19 with their providers, families, friends, and even strangers. But most people, especially health care providers, are not comfortable talking about the fact that they have a mental health condition. Why is that?
Most people feel that talking about or acknowledging that they have a mental health condition can hinder other parts of their lives. For example, it used to be that talking about the mental health symptoms of a soldier would make them appear weak and not able to perform their duties. The same for health care providers. Often healthcare providers are faced with many challenges from dealing with verbal and physical trauma on the job. They face death daily but often don’t feel comfortable talking about it for fear of reprisal or loss of their credentialing. Others just don’t feel comfortable talking about their thoughts. Some may say they will pray away their thoughts or “I will leave it to Jesus” but never really address the issue. Now don’t get me wrong there is nothing wrong with believing in divine intervention but the higher power that you believe in put modern medicine, science, and research into place to help you along your journey called life. However, we as a society need to make the effort to discuss our thoughts, concerns, or just things that are frightening or unfamiliar because it is normal. The fact is that billions of people suffer from some sort of mental health condition or have had symptoms of a mental health condition at some point in their lives but because people neglect to address and talk about having mental health issues it has become a taboo topic.
Many people don’t talk about their mental health because they don’t understand what it is they are experiencing and often ignore important warning signs that can often prevent more serious mental health conditions. Each of us knows our mind and body better than anyone when it comes to explaining to our provider about our pain or why our blood sugar level dropped or was elevated from a late-night freezer raid to get ice cream. So we have to do our due diligence and understand our mental health as well.
Although May is Mental Health Awareness Month, that does not mean you have to wait until May to focus on your mental health. Awareness means it is reminding us to simply be aware. So start today by assessing yourself or even someone you may know for signs of depression or anxiety. Let them know that they are not alone (and neither are you). Remember, there are many people (some famous) in the world that suffer from the same symptoms as you such as the US Olympic gymnast Simone Biles who recently acknowledged to the world she has mental health issues; music artist and performer, Demi Lovato who told the world not to long ago she suffers from bipolar disorder; successful model and TV host Chrissy Teigen who reported she has postpartum depression; US Olympic swimmer Micheal Phelps who said he had ADHD; and actor Leonardo DiCaprio who stated he has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although these people are famous and may seem like they have it all together to us, however in reality we have to remember they are human just like you and me.
If you are having symptoms of feeling down, confused, anxious, excessive worry or fears, guilt, mood swings, wanting to be alone or not engaging in activities you once loved, having little to no energy, thoughts of self-harm or harming others, and/or they are progressing and becoming more consistent please seek help from a medical professional because you could be experiencing a mental health condition.
The good news is that your symptoms are treatable! Contact a mental health professional or the suicide prevention hotline at 800-273-8255 today. Remember there is help out there and you are not alone.
