Redefining Expectations: Mental Health

Assumptions define the public — truths that aren’t quite proven, ideas that aren’t quite correct. Logic is dismissed in the wake of easier acceptance; and the stigmas of the past chase after the present, with the masses refusing to admit their failings.

And there is, perhaps, no greater failing than with the issue of mental health. Many swear that diseases and their symptoms affect only a small percentage of the population, with the numbers thought to barely reach the thousands.

This thought incorrect, however — because statistics favor a far greater tragedy and illness is all too easy to find.

As of 2011, it’s estimated that one out of every four individuals worldwide will experience some form of mental disorder (with depression being the most common of these, claiming over 30 percent). Gender offers no relief and neither does age. All social and economic classes are instead affected — with a total of 450 million people sharing a common thread of disease.

These numbers are damning… especially when coupled with the statistics of rehabilitation. Of the 25 percent of the global population burdened with illness, only one-third will seek treatment. This is due to a variety of factors: the cost of medication, a lack of awareness and — most distressingly — a fear of being rejected by peers. Over 60 percent of those who refuse treatment cite anxiety as the cause.

This cannot remain.

Mental health isn’t an uncommon problem. It must therefore receive the care it deserves — with the masses willing to acknowledge it, rather than trying to shove the thought away.

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Tips for Good Mental Health

Mental Health Awareness Ribbon 

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Healthy mental health is very important for a person to control their behavior as well as emotions. Mental health is very important to handle life challenges, lead productive lives, and build good relationships. Mental health means overall well-being of the psychological health and it even includes ability to manage the emotions, how a person feels about themselves, and quality of their relationships.

One should understand that good mental health is not just merely absence of any mental health problems, but it is a condition where a person will be free from depression, stress, and anxiety. Mentally strong people have the ability to deal with stress, love for their life, ability to have fun even in difficult times, feeling of contentment, adapt changes, maintaining a balance between professional as well as personal life, and most importantly self-esteem and self-confidence.

People with good mental health always bounce back from their emotional problems and bad times. People with positive attitude always maintain a positive outlook on their life and they remain calm, focused, and creative during their difficult times. The key to have positive attitude towards life is to balance all the emotions.

Other than this physical health is also highly connected with emotional health. Therefore, a person must take enough rest, exercise regularly, should follow proper diet, avoid alcohol and smoking, and finally should get sunlight every day. Finally, people should engage themselves in activity that makes them happy and should some spend time for themselves to maintain good mental health.

 

 

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Treating Depression

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Depression is a common psychological problem that nearly 17 million Americans face each year. Depression causes emotional stress as well as affects the lives of those around you and your life as well. You may feel down quite often, but when you have depression, you are constantly in a sad state, making it hard to function properly because nothing seems to matter anymore. There are several different ways you can treat depression.

Often times, depression is treated with drugs. These drugs work with your body to release chemicals that will help balance your mood. There are several different types of drugs you can take, but everyone reacts differently to each drug. You should talk to your doctor to know which one is right for you.

Psychotherapy can also help patients with depression. Psychotherapy works by meeting one on one with a professional to help you sort out your problems. Usually, you will find some sort of relief by having a professional help you out.

An easy way to help treat depression is to simply exercise. Exercise helps to release chemicals in the brain that put you in a good mood. If you are severely depressed, you may not be able to rely completely on exercise as a remedy, but it will still help.

Other than these options, there are plenty of other ways to treat depression including natural ways. You may have to work with a variety of these treatments to get over your depression such as exercising and seeking psychotherapy. Other treatments include eating a balanced diet, getting a decent amount of sleep, and receiving routine massages.

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The Job of a School Psychologist

A school psychologist works with youths and children in order that they may thrive behaviorally, socially, academically, and emotionally. They work alongside parents, teachers, and others to develop a healthy, supportive, and safe environment for learning.

School psychologists also receive extensive training in the areas of education and psychology. They complete master degree of a minimum 60 graduate semester hours, which includes a year internship. With the training a student will focus on preparations in educational interventions and mental health, learning, child development, consultation, school law and more.

These health professionals work in a variety of locations such as mental and school based health centers, juvenile justice centers, Universities, private schools, public schools, hospitals, residential clinics, day treatment centers, and private practice. School psychologists work with students by providing mentoring, counseling, and instruction to students that may have behavioral, emotional and social problems. They also help the student with their social and communication skills so they will be able to manage their anger, problem solve, improve self determination, and boost their self esteem and more.

Many children that have problems at school also have problems at home and a school psychologist will work with families to try to come up with a plan that will improve school/home collaboration in addition to teaching parenting skills. They will inform the parents of behavioral problems that may be causing interferences in the child’s school success. They also provide assistance in the area of coordinating support services in the community and they make referrals when needed. They will inform parents of what resources the child may be eligible for in the area of special educational services.

 

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The Link Between Diet and Depression

While there is no single dietary change that can treat or prevent depression, some studies have shown that eating the right diet can make a difference. A good diet filled with the right nutrients and variety can help to improve mood and prevent conditions that may worsen depression. The following are some basic guidelines for a diet that can help people suffering with depression.

Antioxidants

Eating a diet rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta carotene may be helpful for people suffering from depression. These nutrients help to prevent free radical damage in the body and can sometimes help you to feel better. Good sources of antioxidants include sweet potatoes, carrots, berries, nuts and seeds, along with many other colorful fruits and vegetables.

Get Enough Protein

Including plenty of sources of protein can help to keep energy levels high, helping people with depression to feel better than they would without enough protein. Giving your body the tools to help itself feel better–like plenty of protein from lean meats, beans, and other sources–is important to overall health. Generally speaking, things that are good for your health will also help to prevent mental illnesses like depression. Some studies have linked the Mediterranean diet, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, as well as lean sources of meat and plenty of healthy fats to a lesser likelihood of developing depression.

Vitamin D and Selenium

Vitamin D can have a huge impact on your well-being. If your depression has ben diagnosed as seasonal affective disorder, or if you often feel better in the summer than in winter, you may be vitamin D deficient. Adding a supplement to your diet may help your moods. Selenium is another important nutrient that has been linked to mood swings and depression. Adding a supplement, or watching your intake from foods, may help.


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Behavioral Health Considerations in Health Insurance Plans

Typically when it comes to health insurance coverage, people think about a few specific parts of coverage such as preventative medicine, doctor visits, prescription drug coverage, emergency room coverage, ambulance coverage, and so on. Unfortunately, sometimes certain aspects of health are not covered in a health insurance plan, and so you need to look a little deeper to find the right coverage to meet your individual needs.

For example, behavioral health is not covered in every health insurance plan, or rather it does not come standard in many health insurance programs. It is important for you to include behavioral health as part of your health insurance coverage, however, especially if you are already dealing with behavioral health issues such as a serious mental illness. When appraising the benefits and features of various online insurance quotes, you are going to want to pay particular attention to whether or not mental or behavioral health is a consideration, so that you can ensure the specific types of coverage that you need.

Most people that are suffering from a major illness requiring health insurance coverage may also be suffering from a mental illness like depression. As such, it would be a smart idea to add mental health coverage to your health insurance coverage so that you can get the mental health help that you need if a problem should ever arise. Obtain insurance quotes from health care suppliers in your area in order to determine how much it is going to cost for you to add this type of coverage to your health care plan.

If your current health care insurance provider does not offer mental health insurance then make sure you find a provider who does so that you will have the most well-rounded health insurance coverage possible because this is ideal for maintaining optimal health at all times.

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Are You Ready for Major Weight Loss?

Picture of an Obese Teenager (146kg/322lb) wit...
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People who are 20 percent or more over their ideal body weight, or have a body mass index of 30 or higher, are considered obese. The heaviest suffer from serious health problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, back and joint pain, fatigue, sleep apnea, shortness of breath, certain kinds of cancer and cardiovascular disease. They also can suffer emotionally and socially.

People who are obese may reach a time when they resolve to drop a large amount of weight.

The first step is to talk with your family doctor. Your physician will order tests to ensure your condition is not related to thyroid dysfunction or medications you may be taking. Since obesity affects every major organ system and your mental state, you may be referred to other specialists, as well as a dietitian, an exercise physiologist and a counselor or psychologist.

You then have a choice: an intensive diet and exercise program, or undergo bariatric surgery.

If you choose the natural route, it will take a plan, discipline, support from others and a complete change in lifestyle. You should incorporate aerobic exercise, weight training, stretching and an overhaul of your eating habits. You won’t drop weight rapidly, but you will immediately gain improved fitness, energy, flexibility and strength. As you get healthier you need to continue these new routines the rest of your life.

Bariatric surgery is a fairly new discipline, first emerging in the early 1980s. Surgical techniques now include minimally invasive and laparoscopic options. Choose a board certified surgeon highly experienced in the procedure you want. Make sure the surgery program is comprehensive, with pre-surgery preparation as well as follow-up and support services. Look for programs certified by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. After surgery, follow your surgeon’s instructions exactly to avoid complications. Spend time talking with a counselor or journaling to help you cope with changes in your body, relationships and your life.

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Be Nice to Aspys: A Little Known Condition is Gaining Recognition

You approach a stranger at a party. He’s nice looking, well groomed and wears stylish clothing. He’s standing alone, with a rather stiff, self-conscious posture. You smile. He stares back a few awkward seconds, then shapes his mouth into a returning smile. You strike up a conversation about a recent game. He nods his head with interest, then begins spouting a stream of statistics and data about the game, the major plays of each team, the coaches, the officials, the history of the sport Your eyes glaze over and you find an excuse to break off and flee to the other side of the room.

You may have met an extremely devoted fan of the game or you’ve just had an encounter with an Aspy.

Asperger syndrome disorder (AS) has only become a distinct diagnosed condition since the early 1990s. It is characterized by social awkwardness, inability to understand facial expressions and body language, clumsy movements, overly formal use of language, preoccupation with favorite topics, poor impulse control, difficulty empathizing, hypersensitivity to light, sounds, smells and touch, and repetitive routines.

Asperger’s is a type of autism, although people with this condition often are highly intelligent, have excellent written and verbal abilities, appear ordinary, and function fairly normally.

Although mostly diagnosed in children, AS is increasingly recognized in adults who initially seek help for depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, self-esteem issues, OCD, ADHD and relationship problems.

One of the most famous Aspys is Temple Grandin, a scientist, college professor, animal rights advocate and author. Grandin has said her condition is like a computer that hasn’t been loaded with software. Most people intuitively know how to make connections with others; Aspys must watch and learn appropriate behaviors, thus loading the needed software into their brains.

So, next time you meet someone who seems odd, be extra nice. They may be an Aspy coping with their limitations.

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Aren’t We All a little Paranoid?

Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is characterized by a deep distrust of others. People with PPD suspect that others are competing with them, undermining them, plotting against them and out to humiliate and belittle them.

Well, let’s think about this. Didn’t Bernie Madoff bilk billions from people who trusted him? And in the workplace aren’t we constantly competing with our coworkers for time, attention, rewards, promotions and job security? Haven’t most of us encountered so-called friends, who smile to your face, then spread rumors behind your back? What about the guy who cuts you off in traffic or suddenly slams on his breaks in front of you for no reason other than to get you upset?

There are some good reasons in our current world for people to have a healthy distrust of others. They’re likely to be more cautious and careful, very selective in whom they befriend and which institutions they patronize.

It’s probably a normal human trait to be a little paranoid  a survival mechanism. It’s wise to look before we leap, to suspect hidden agendas behind offers that seem too good to be true. We just have to be careful not to let our cynicism block us from actual opportunities and genuine relationships.

People with PPD seldom seek counseling, and if they do, they won’t open up and share with their therapist. Their thinking is so rigid they find it hard to let down their guard and consider a different reality than the one they see.

The beauty of self reflection and personal growth is that we can take a breath, forgive others, try to understand a different point of view and not let setbacks keep us from hoping and dreaming.

It takes courage in a time of change and uncertainty to look for the good in others, overlook offenses and stay positive.

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The Dangerous Kind of Fat You Can’t Pinch

Excess adipose tissue around a male's mid-section.
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The Dangerous Kind of Fat You Can’t Pinch

Although many are concerned about the loose fatty tissue that accumulates around our bellies, hips, thighs and backs, experts say this is not the kind to be worried about. The kind we can pinch on the outside is called subcutaneous fat. The real villain is visceral fat, the type found deep inside our bodies near the vital organs.

Like the other kind, visceral fat develops over the years because of a lack of activity, poor diet, and hereditary and environmental factors. Because of its location, it has a direct impact on a person’s health. Visceral fat secretes toxic chemicals and hormones directly into the liver and the bloodstream, causing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and certain kinds of cancers. The fat also increases the body’s resistance to insulin, leading to pre-diabetes or full-blown diabetes.

People with visceral fat are often apple-shaped, meaning, they have roundness in their midsections. Those who are pear-shaped, with weight around their hips and thighs, are at lower risk for cardiovascular disease.

Dieting and abdominal crunches will not get rid of visceral fat in the belly; only vigorous exercise that raises the heart rate will. Brisk walking, riding a bike or jogging are good examples of cardiovascular, fat burning exercise. It’s important to check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.

Exercising for 30 minutes or more five or six days a week and eating smaller portions of healthy food will result in losing visceral fat. In addition, adapting a healthier lifestyle gives you more energy and improves digestion and restful sleep. With loss of fat in the midsection, you’re feel better and look trimmer.

Weight training and programs like Yoga or Pilates help develop muscle and balance. Many people find that they have fewer backaches and generalized pain after they’ve lot weight in their midsection and strengthened their abdominal and back muscles.

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