Mind games

observances 

Every year ‘World Mental Health Day’ is  

observed across the globe to shed light on mental issues. You! takes a look... 

The world is flooded with many problems and illnesses that are yet to receive the attention they deserve. Amongst the many issues that are ignored and need to be recongnized is mental health. The worst part is, one may never find out if one is mentally ill. This is because the illness is not visible in many cases and the one who is not mentally sound suffers alone. However, things are changing as awareness is spreading throughout the world by campaigns and observance of World Mental Health Day. This particular day is observed on the 10th of October every year, with the objective of raising awareness regarding mental health issues. Read on to find out more. 

World Mental Health Day  

This day is dedicated to global mental health education, awareness and advocacy. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health (a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries). The day provides an opportunity for all those working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide. It also discusses how important mental health is for one to leave a healthy lifestyle.  

Theme 2016 

This year’s World Mental Health Day theme is ‘Psychological First Aid’. According to the theme, the day explores the impact of traumatic events on people’s mental health and the steps people could take to support themselves and others through a series of blogs and personal stories. Perhaps you find yourself at the scene of an accident where people are hurt or maybe you are a health-care worker or teacher talking to someone from your community who has just witnessed the violent death of a loved one. Learning the basic principles of psychological first aid will help one provide support to people who are very distressed, and, importantly, to know what to say and what not to say. The investment in psychological first aid is part of a longer-term effort to ensure that anyone in acute distress due to a crisis is able to receive basic support, and that those who need more than psychological first aid will receive additional advanced support from the health sector and social services.  

What is mental health?  

Mental health is a level of psychological well-being. It means having a healthy mind that is free of mental illnesses of any sort. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. Mental illnesses are serious disorders which can affect your thinking, mood, and behaviour.  

Sadly, anyone can be a victim of a mental illness no matter how successful or happy they may seem. There are many causes of mental disorders including genes and family history, life experiences such as stress or a history of abuse as well as biological factors. Mental disorders are common than we can imagine, however, with every mental problem that arises, a treatment is available. All one needs to do is seek professional help. If provided proper counselling and treatment, people with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely. 

 Common mental illnesses  

There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Common mental disorders include depression, which affects about 400 million, dementia which affects about 35 million, and schizophrenia, which affects about 21 million people globally. 

Following are a few of the common mental illnesses and the affect they have on one’s mind.  

Anxiety disorders:

People with anxiety disorders respond to certain objects or situations with fear and dread, as well as with physical signs of anxiety or panic, such as a rapid heartbeat and sweating. An anxiety disorder is diagnosed if the person’s response is not appropriate for the situation, if the person cannot control the response, or if the anxiety interferes with normal functioning. Anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias. 

Mood disorders:

These disorders, also called affective disorders, involve persistent feelings of sadness or periods of feeling overly happy, or fluctuations from extreme happiness to extreme sadness. The most common mood disorders are depression, bipolar disorder and cyclothymic disorder. 

Psychotic disorders:

Psychotic disorders involve distorted awareness and thinking. Two of the most common symptoms of psychotic disorders are hallucinations - the experience of images or sounds that are not real, such as hearing voices - and delusions, which are false fixed beliefs that the ill person accepts to be true, despite evidence to the contrary. Schizophrenia is an example of a psychotic disorder. 

Eating disorders:

Eating disorders involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviours involving weight and food. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are the most common eating disorders. 

Impulse control and addiction disorders: People with impulse control disorders are unable to resist urges, or impulses, to perform acts that could be harmful to themselves or others. Pyromania (starting fires), kleptomania (stealing), and compulsive gambling are examples of impulse control disorders. Alcohol and drug are common objects of addictions. Often, people with these disorders become so involved with the objects of their addiction that they begin to ignore responsibilities and relationships. 

Personality disorders:

People with personality disorders have extreme and inflexible personality traits that are distressing to the person and/or cause problems in social relationships or at work and school. In addition, the person’s patterns of thinking and behaviour significantly differ from the expectations of society and are so rigid that they interfere with the person’s normal functioning. Examples include antisocial personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and paranoid personality disorder. 

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD):

People with OCD are plagued by constant thoughts or fears that cause them to perform certain rituals or routines. The disturbing thoughts are called obsessions and the rituals are called compulsions. An example is a person with an unreasonable fear of germs who constantly washes his or her hands. 

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):

It can develop following a traumatic and/or terrifying event, such as a sexual or physical assault, the unexpected death of a loved one or a natural disaster. People with PTSD often have lasting and frightening thoughts and memories of the event and tend to be emotionally numb.