Mental Health Is Many Things

What exactly is mental health? According to mentalhealth.gov: "Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood."

Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

• Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
• Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
• Family history of mental health problems

The most common category of mental health disorders in America — impacting approximately 40 million adults 18 and older. Anxiety disorders cause people to experience distressing and frequent fear and apprehension. "Anxiety" is actually a blanket term that includes: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), OCD, Panic Disorder, PTSD, and Social Anxiety Disorder.

An estimated 1 in 10 adults suffers from some type of mood disorder. People with mood disorders live with more persistent and severe symptoms that can disrupt their daily lives — ongoing sadness, hopelessness, low self-esteem, excessive guilt, decreased energy, and more. The most common mood disorders are: Major depression, Dysthymia, Bipolar disorder, and Substance-induced mood disorder.

Those suffering from psychotic disorders may be unable to know what's real and what's not. Scientists believe that certain viruses, problems with how specific brain circuits work, extreme stress or trauma, and some forms of drug abuse may play a role. The most common include: Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective disorder, Brief psychotic disorder, and Delusional disorder.

Dementia is a term that covers a wide range of specific mental conditions involving a decline in cognitive abilities — often severe enough to impair daily life and independent function. Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60–80% of dementia cases.

Eating disorders are complex mental disorders that often require intervention from medical and psychological experts. They cause unhealthy eating habits to develop, such as an obsession with food, body weight, or body shape. In severe cases, they can have serious health consequences. The most common types include: Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, and Binge eating disorder.

Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of the following can be an early warning sign:

• Eating or sleeping too much or too little
• Pulling away from people and usual activities
• Having low or no energy
• Feeling numb or like nothing matters
• Having unexplained aches and pains
• Feeling helpless or hopeless
• Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual
• Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared
• Yelling or fighting with family and friends
• Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Having persistent thoughts and memories you can't get out of your head
• Thinking of harming yourself or others
• Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school

Mental health doesn't just end with the person struggling with it. It impacts family members, friends, and coworkers. It can be isolating — sometimes by choice, sometimes because others don't understand. Undiagnosed or untreated mental health issues can lead to so many different difficult or even dangerous situations.

Ask directly. Straight up ask them to explain their situation (if they are comfortable). Explain that you truly want to understand and help. Ask how you can be supportive. What do they need when they are struggling? How can you tell if they are having a hard time?

Leave your judgment at the door. Don't make comparisons of their issues against yours. They are not the same.

Just listen. Nod when you understand something and ask for clarity when you don't. Make good eye contact. Let them see you are actively listening and interested in their situation and in being a good friend.

Don't say:

• "You'll get over it"
• "Cheer up, it will pass"
• "I know how you feel" (if you really don't)

Do say:

• "I'm here for you"
• "How are you doing today?"
• "What do you need right now?"

Help with daily tasks. When I had my miscarriage, I was really not doing much. Just having someone come over and wash and put away the dishes was such a HUGE help. That simple task was just too much for me at that time.

Encourage your friend or family member to seek help. If this is a new situation for them, it can be very scary and overwhelming. You can offer to help find someone to work with, drive them to their first session, or even sit in on a session if they feel safer that way.

However, being a good friend is also about keeping your own boundaries healthy and trusting your gut. If your friend is in crisis or in danger, it is okay to get help. It may cause friction between you — but if your gut says something is wrong, you have permission to follow it.

In college, myself and several friends had to get my roommate's parents involved when she was struggling. She didn't speak to me for months afterwards. But she was getting the help she needed. A year or so later she thanked me. We did not rekindle our friendship — and that's okay. I knew I did the right thing, and I knew it may have saved her life. That mattered. Her life mattered.

If you or someone you love is struggling with mental health issues, please use these resources:

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 (available 24/7)
• Crisis Text Line — Text NAMI to 741-741
• Veterans Crisis Line — Call 988, then press 1; or text 838255
• Disaster Distress Helpline — Call or text 1-800-985-5990
• NAMI HelpLine — nami.org/help

Need support for yourself or someone you care about? Reach out to schedule a session — I'm here to help.