Sadly, in our society today, there's still a lot of stigma concerning mental health issues. Mental health is just as important as your physical health, and it can often be the cause of many of our physical illnesses. Hence it is especially critical to pay attention to mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and other types of mood disorders.
We have carefully curated some of the vital signs of mental illness that you should not ignore. If they are left unchecked, they can cause severe damage to both your personal and professional lives.
1) Unusual Tummy Aches
Your gut and brain are so deeply hardwired, and this is why it is referred to as the second brain. Scientists believe that the gut informs our state of mind in other more obscure ways, as well. The nerves probably influence a big part of our emotions in our gut. So, any chronic mental issues that you may have may create unusual tummy aches that aren't related to the food you consumed!
2) Chronic Body Pain
If you ignore the pain in your gut, the pain will extend to the rest of the body as well. Studies have revealed that people who suffer from depression are more likely to experience chronic pain when compared to those who don't. This is because there is an overlap in the brain parts that process depression and pain. Hence physical pain can exacerbate psychological distress and vice versa!
3) Lack of Motivation
An essential sign of mental illness is a lack of motivation, even for regular daily activities. You feel like there is a weight on your head and cannot seem to move it away to spring to life. You cannot even get out of bed, meet friends or colleagues, and generally bored about everything in life. If you feel like this, then kindly don't delay seeking help!
4) Manic Moments
On the other hand, if you also experience manic moments where you think you can do anything you want or do no wrong. You may have so much energy that you cannot sleep well at night, or you have the feeling that you are invincible and push yourself beyond limits until you collapse. You may also become highly productive, erratic and easily distracted. These could be signs of a mental illness like bipolar disorder.
5) Intense Paranoia
This sign is a much more challenging sign to recognize in yourself and is usually noticed by those closest to you. You may start to feel that people are constantly watching you, or judging you, or even disliking you. You may fear going out to meet friends or family members. You are afraid that an accident may occur or that someone is always trying to hurt you. You may begin to lose trust in everyone, including your family members. These may be related to schizophrenia or a kind of anxiety disorders. If you have any of these, you should not delay getting an assessment and pursuing the proper line of treatment.
6) Compulsive Behavior
You are having compulsive behaviour that no one else understands. For example, you wash your hands too often or clean your desk repeatedly even if it is clean. You may go to check if the door is locked or the lights are turned off in the kitchen, even if you have just done it. You check your phone repeatedly to see if there is a message or a notification. You start to let such fears control your life. It is not a life that you want to live. If you spend time living out your fears, it means you don't have the time or the energy to pursue your true life purpose.
7) Apathy for everything
There is a term called Anhedonia, which is a state of apathy towards everything in your life, including especially the things you love. This kind of apathy is okay if there is a reason for it. For example, you may want to avoid meeting family members after separation from your partner. Or you don't want to enjoy a drink with friends after you have lost your job. But if this apathy is sustained or there because of no apparent reason, then it is a sign that you may be developing depression. Abandoning all activities or hobbies that you were once passionate about is a matter of great concern.
8) Shape Shifting
If your body weight is shifting one way or without particular reason, this is also a sign of mental illness. Excessive weight loss or weight gain can be associated with depression or an eating disorder, which is also a mental illness. People often use comfort food to deal with excess stress, and this can cause weight gain. In contrast, other mental disorders may lead to a steep loss of appetite and lose significant weight. So if your body is shifting its shape one way or the other extreme, pay attention to your state of mind!
9) Sleep Issues
Many mental health disorders will affect your sleep. Some could either prevent you from sleeping at all or make you experience disturbed sleep. In comparison, others can make you sleep too much and make it difficult for you to wake up. Either way, your energy level will become imbalanced, and it will affect your productivity. Studies have shown that almost half of the patients with ADHD, Depression, Anxiety or Bioplar disorders have some form of insomnia or hypersomnia.
10) Self Punishing Thoughts
Harming yourself through self-deprecating thoughts is another sign you must watch out for. Constantly putting yourself down, or insulting yourself, or feeling unworthy are common signs of mental illness. And it is easier to fall into negative thought patterns but is very hard to come out of. These could also extend to self-destructive behaviour, where you can hurt yourself directly or create behaviour towards others, damaging and destroying crucial and vital relationships. In some cases, it could even include intrusive thoughts. If you notice any of these, please don't delay seeking professional help. The earlier, the better.
11) Libido Issues
Mental health also has a substantial impact on sexual behaviour. It can either cause a reduction in sexual interest or, in some cases, total disinterest. In other cases, it can also make you hypersexual. And since often a partner is involved in sexual activity, this can create conflicts in intimate relationships and eventually lead to separation in some instances.
12) Confusion
If you are constantly feeling confused or have a reduced ability to concentrate, it is also an indicator that you may suffer from a mental issue. Stress, depression or anxiety disorders disturb our mind quite significantly and don't allow it to have enough rest or steadiness to think clearly and be focused.
If you notice any of these signs in yourself or your loved ones, it is best to seek immediate medical help as early as possible.
There are many ways you can seek help to deal with mental health issues. Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis are the more conventional approaches. However, there are other methods like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) that can also be an effective treatment. However, treatment of mental health needs a holistic approach and should include changes in nutrition, lifestyle etc.
Yoga Therapy has also come to be recognised as an effective complementary treatment to support those with mental health issues. Meditation is among one of the more effective tools of Yoga to strengthen the mind and help alleviate many of the symptoms of mental health issues.
Choose a method that is most suitable to you and that which is easily accessible. No matter which line of healing you choose to pursue, it is important that you don’t delay seeking treatment. Also please note that you are not alone in this journey and there is appropriate help available if you seek it!
Namaste!
We are thrilled to announce a new course for June 2021 titled Master Your Mind! -The Power of meditation in refining your thoughts and gaining focus!
The purpose of this seminar is to assist you to master your mind through profound meditation practices from the Viniyoga tradition. The practices taught will incorporate some of its holistic range of tools including simple body movements (Āsana) conscious breath regulation (Prāṇāyāma) repetition of oral sounds (Mantra) visualizations (Bhāvanā) gestures (Nyāsa) and guided meditation (Dhyānam). For more information on the event or to sign up click the button below!
Dr. Kausthub Desikachar also assists many clients in their healing journey that includes mental health issues. He offers insightful mentoring through private consultations, which can be taken either face-to-face or online . To book a session with him, kindly visit his private consultations page by clicking here>
Dr. Kausthub Desikachar is the successor and current lineage holder of the classical Yoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher, yoga therapist, healer and spiritual adviser. His objectives include the sharing of the authentic teachings of Yoga to the modern era, as well as building bridges between different healing modalities to promote physical, emotional social and spiritual health.
For more information on his work and teachings, kindly visit http://www.viniyoga.com.sg or http://www.khyf.net or http://www.kausthub.com
Apart from Yoga Teaching, Kausthub is also an avid photographer, inspirational writer and poet. To view, some of his inspirations, visit the website www.kausthubdesikachar.com
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