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The issue of mental health has become a hot topic recently. As can be seen this winter, some infectious diseases such as the flu thrive on a seasonal basis, but what about non-contagious mental illness? The brain constitutes a crucial role in regulation of the body, and of itself. When factors upset this balance through chemicals, the environment, or other factors, it can lead to problems both internally and among others. The brain is incredibly vulnerable to its environment, the most common example being:
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
Most people have a favorite season for vacation reasons, fun activities, or special holidays. However, many individuals dread the winter because of the distressing symptoms it brings them. Besides the temperature differences, the largest impact of the Earth’s trip around the sun for locations far from the equator is the discrepancy in daylight hours between winter and summer months.
Commonly known as the ‘winter blues’. Symptoms center on sad mood and low energy. Those most at risk are female, are younger, live far from the equator, and have family histories. (Melrose, 2015)
The treatment for this disorder includes medication, light therapy, and vitamin D.
The brain contains a person’s collection of knowledge, beliefs, thoughts, and emotions which can cumulatively be known as the mind. A person's mental health is defined by the World Health Organization as
a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. (Mental Health: A State of Well-being., n.d.)
An effective way to approach this well-being is by using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (seen above) and evaluating one’s situation using the pyramidal diagram. If one of the lower needs is not met, it becomes impossible for the individual to meet the higher tiers of the pyramid. When all needs are met, the individual is healthy and fulfilled. This technique allows for a regular person to reflect on their own life and determine if there are any problems keeping them from reaching fulfillment, or if there can be positive forces added to create a complete hierarchy.
The negative effects of mental illness have drastic impacts on a person’s close community and society. As a collective of social creatures with the power of resources such as the Internet, information can spread faster than ever before. The problem with this spread is a lack of verification. Many people tailor their desires and views to satisfy their own beliefs, an issue that leads to division.
An example of this is the political state of our own country, and though there are people that perform research, the rest of the country is subject to others’ interpretations, which can be exaggerated to cause a reaction.
It is crucial for individuals to question their own beliefs and support them with research to prevent false beliefs or ‘delusions’ from permeating into their own thought process or into society. There are several different methods of performing this; the most common being the scientific method but one can also rely on reliable primary sources who have already completed this work.
This means it is incredibly important for people who are experiencing or know someone who is experiencing symptoms to seek professional help, while as a society we remove the stigma (Byrne, 2000) of mental illness by being open to communication about its effects.
References
Byrne, P. (2000). Stigma of mental illness and ways of diminishing it. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 6(1), 65-72. Retrieved 2 19, 2018, from http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/6/1/65
CGP Grey. This Video Will Make You Angry. Youtube, CGP Grey, 10 Mar. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rE3j_RHkqJc&pbjreload=10.
Melrose, S. (2015). Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches. Depression Research and Treatment, 2015, 178564-178564. Retrieved 2 19, 2018, from https://hindawi.com/journals/drt/2015/178564
Mental Health: A State of Well-being. (n.d.). Retrieved 2 19, 2018, from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/mental_health/en/