No health without mental health
This important statement was first made by the US Surgeon General David Satcher in 1998.
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day was first launched in 1992. A theme to go with each World Mental Health Day was added two years later. More details can be found in a write up on its history and the themes of each year. [1]
Mental health in an unequal world
This is the theme for this year’s World Mental Health Day and is the 27th theme. The following are my reflections surrounding this year’s theme:
- Recognise unequalness as reality.
- Recognise symptoms of poor mental health.
- Take early remedial actions to recovery.
Recognise unequalness as reality
Much has been researched and confirmed that ill health can arise from unequalness of material and financial wealth; money alone however may not solve all the problems. The first step to better physical health and mental health is to adopt a positive approach however unequal one may feel about this unequal world.
In an earlier post we discussed the importance of a positive set of a pleasant life, an engaged life, and a meaningful life. It is useful to work towards making these an integral part of your joys of life.[2]
Recognise symptoms of poor mental health
Some commonly encountered symptoms are:
- Stress and burnout — Feeling that everything about your job starting to annoy you, and you are feeling irritable all the time, feeling drained of energy all the time, and experiencing a loss of zest in your work
- Depression — Experiencing persistent low mood, and if severe may have suicidal thoughts
- General anxiety disorder — Feeling severely anxious all the time;
- Bipolar disorder — Experiencing periods of severe depression; alternating with experiencing episodes of excessive joy, huge energy, and reduced need for sleep;
- Obsessive compulsive disorder — Experiencing obsessive thoughts like the need to keep washing hands, or checking that doors are locked; and
- Alcohol overuse or alcohol abuse — Indulging in excessive intake beyond the two standard drinks daily for men, and one standard drink daily for women. A standard alcohol drink is defined as a can (330 ml) of regular beer, half a glass (100 ml) of wine or 1 nip (30 ml) of spirit.
Take early remedial actions to recovery
- Heed the symptoms
- Seek help for symptoms of listed above
- Manage stress and overwork — see next section
Manage stress and overwork
- Identify changes you can make for yourself — meals, sleep, exercise
- Make a self-care plan
- Leave work at work
- Ask for help
- Talk to someone you can trust — a problem shared is a problem halved
- Break up the monotony e.g. switch the order of your daily tasks, try mindful awareness exercises
- Avoid negative coping strategies e.g. alcohol overuse, excessive eating, or smoking.
Take stock of your mental health today.
- Give yourself a smile and continue with good mental health practices if you are coping well
- Make changes to your life if you need to improve your mental health. You can.
References
- World Mental Health Day. History and themes. https://wfmh.global/world-mental-health-day/
- Martin Seligman. Positive mental health — happy life, engaged life, meaningful life. https://agewelleveryday.org/2021/04/get-the-energy-you-lack-by-being-happy-dr-martin-seligman-shows-the-way/
Dr LG Goh
Dr GOH Lee Gan is a retired Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine, National University Health System. He has an interest in learning and teaching how we can age well everyday (AWE).
