If you want peace then give priority to mental health

It is normal to have emotions like anxiety, anger and sadness but the problem starts when these emotions affect our life.

It is a common worry for a child to wonder how to study before an exam. But the constant fear of failure, forgetting papers, lagging behind others or being scolded by parents points towards overthinking. After repeatedly thinking about an accident, if a small incident happens, we associate it with our thoughts. It is important to test this with reality, otherwise irritability, nervousness, anger and the habit of avoiding any situation may increase.

Anxiety affects both body and mind

Physical symptoms of anxiety may include dizziness, dry mouth, trouble breathing, rapid heartbeat, hand tremors, strange stomach movements, nausea, vomiting, and frequent trips to the toilet. Many times a person feels that he is having a heart attack and reaches emergency. Mental focus and memory may be affected, restlessness and irritability may increase and sleep may be disturbed.

Stigma and myths still exist regarding mental health

In the past, mental health was often associated with people who shouted or behaved violently. Depression and anxiety were not understood that much. Even today, when going to a psychiatrist, people think that they will have to take medicines for the rest of their life, will be given sleeping pills or their kidneys and liver will get damaged. Even in films, mental health issues and ECT have been shown in a wrong way. But now people are talking openly about mental health and after taking help, a big change is seen in many people.

Mental and physical health are interconnected. Think of mental and physical health like two tires of a motorcycle. If even one is not right then the car will not run properly. Anxiety, depression and sleep problems can also be associated with many physical problems. Similarly, there is a deep connection between stomach and brain. Anxiety can be seen with problems like acidity or IBS. Many people complain of pain in different parts of the body, but nothing special is found on examination.

Understand three symptoms to recognize depression

The three main symptoms of depression are persistent sadness, more fatigue or weakness than before, and loss of interest in things the person previously enjoyed. Anxiety and depression often go together. Due to prolonged anxiety, a depressive state can occur and in depression, the person starts worrying about his abilities. However, being sad for three days does not mean depression.

Mental health is assessed through conversation and examination

First of all it is important to make the patient feel comfortable. Psychologists understand his childhood, life and symptoms through conversation. Information can also be taken from family or friends, as they may notice some changes that the person himself may not recognize. Along with assessment scales and mental status tests, techniques such as brain mapping and neurofeedback are also used.

Neurofeedback works like brain exercise

Neurofeedback is a drug-free technique that can be thought of as a brain exercise. Just like the strings of a guitar have to be tuned for the right note, similarly an attempt is made to train brain waves. After brain mapping, it is decided what kind of exercise is to be done. About 20 minutes of gamified exercise can be done daily at home through phone or laptop. It is used for focus, memory, sleep and conditions like ADHD, anxiety and depression.

20 minutes of me time

Take out just 20 minutes for yourself every day, start with breathing, meditation or exercise. To reduce work stress, spend 10 minutes at night planning for the next day. Appreciate the small good things in children.