ARE WE TAKING CARE OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH?

Mental Health is a very important factor that is ignored by most of us. We believe that if our physical health is fine, then everything else must obviously be fine as well. We pay a lot of attention to our physical health. We would rush to consult a doctor if there are any aches or pains and get the necessary tests without delay. Is it the same when it comes to our mental health?

With the objective of bringing about awareness on this most important topic, the Daily Mirror Life will run this column with a series of articles written by well known Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Dasanthi Akmeemana. You will find many common mental health issues discussed in this column.

Let’s get together to increase mental health awareness – for yourself, your loved ones and also the society surrounding us to make the world a happier place.

Last time we were discussing the second feature of mental illnesses; changes in thoughts, emotions and perceptions. We saw the outline of changes in thoughts and how creative it can be.

What are the emotional changes?

Phobic illnesses are due to fear. Of course it is normal to go through a rollercoaster of emotions daily. We all do. It is when these emotions are in excess, you should be concerned.

These emotions persist for a longer time period. For an example, if someone is feeling sad for more than two weeks without a proper reason, there may be other symptoms of depression. They will believe living is pointless, feel empty inside and feel like doing nothing. In the end, it will hinder one’s daily routine and life may lose its balance.

Why do mentally ill people talk continuously or mutter to themselves?

It is due to abnormal perceptions. Perception is one’s reaction to a stimulus. A mentally healthy person will react to a stimulus meaningfully. In mental illnesses, one gets perceptions without a stimulus. Thus they will claim to hear voices when others don’t. These voices may come from outside or from some particular place like a body part; chest, abdomen. It may be addressing or commanding them. They may hear two or three people discussing about them when no one is there. They may respond to these voices by talking, which appears to us as if they’re talking to themselves.

In the end people go towards a more spiritual approach as a solution, like exorcisms; thinking that their dead relatives are possessed.

Why are these abnormal perceptions dangerous?

These voices that a mentally ill person hears may be derogatory and the person can become aggressive and violent due to them. Sometimes they hear commanding voices to hit or kill somebody or to commit suicide when they actually don’t want to. Therefore one should be aware of these abnormal perceptions, which are medically termed hallucinations.

These abnormal perceptions may even be a part of withdrawal symptoms of alcohol addiction. Sometimes they may appear at the time of falling sleep or during waking up in a normal person.

Therefore recognition of them is necessary for early treatment.