Mental health is a complex discussion that focuses on underlying issue such as bullying, drug and alcohol use, exam stress, self-harm, social media risks, suicide, mental disorders and intellectual disabilities.
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According to the World Health Organisation every I in 4 young people suffers from mental health problems at some point in their life. Social media and the internet have opened new doors for communities to understand the different categories of mental health issues and how to tackle them.
More and more young people today are identifying as either suffering from an anxiety disorder, mood disorder or schizophrenic disorder.
Anxiety disorders can include generalized anxiety disorders, panic disorders, social anxiety disorders, phobias, agoraphobias, separation anxiety, selective mutism and medication-induced anxiety disorder. All these disorders cause a person to have overwhelming anxiety and fear over long periods of times and as a result they cannot handle normal stresses of life or at times work productively.
A person who suffers from one or another anxiety disorder will show signs of excessively worrying, constant agitation, restlessness, fatigue, a lack of concentration, trouble sleeping and one of the biggest of all symptoms panic attacks. There are other symptoms associated with anxiety disorder but the most important part of all of this is that it can be difficult for people living with an anxiety disorder to fully function and handle daily stress as compared to people who do not have anxiety disorders.
Mood disorders on the other hand have a much more different but almost similar effect on people’s ability to function mentally, psychologically and physically. Commonly known mood disorders are major depression, dysthymia (chronic but low-grade depression which can last for about two years), bipolar disorder, and substance induced mood disorders which come from the use of drugs, alcohol abuse or medication. Much like anxiety disorders, people with mood disorders experience symptoms like loss of sleep and lack of concentration. Some people who suffer from mood disorders how ever experience symptoms like constantly wanting to sleep, loss of appetite, a sensitiveness to failure or rejection, complains about physical pains such as headaches that don’t go away even with treatment, and aggression.
Schizophrenia is a very complex mental health disorder to look through but there are four major schizophrenia types: Paranoid schizophrenia where a person’s paranoia becomes so extreme that at times the act upon it, Catatonic schizophrenia which causes a person to shut down mentally, physically and emotionally, Undifferentiated schizophrenia where a person shows multiple symptoms of someone suffering from schizophrenia all at once and Schizoaffective disorder where a person has delusions, other schizophrenic symptoms and may also show signs of depression and exhibit mania and hypomania.
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Mental health treatments are not always available for those who need it due to socio economic factors such as unemployment and biological factors related to genetic links to family members who have a history of mental health issues, especially those linked to mood disorders and schizophrenic disorders.
Recovery can be aided by different factors ranging from medical treatment, self-help groups and the support of family and friends.
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