You And Your Mental Health

We will be discussing about Alexithymia in a bit

(Contd.)
INTERACTION OF MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS

Many mental health conditions don’t arise in isolation; instead, co-occurring conditions may influence one another as well as a person’s sleep.

For example, it is not uncommon for people to experience both depression and anxiety, and people with both conditions have been found to have worse sleep than people with just depression or anxiety. These conditions also influence other important aspects of well-being, such as perception of pain, a process that may also influence the risk of sleeping problems.

Ways to Improve Both Sleep and Mental Health

Mental health conditions can disrupt sleep, and lack of sleep can affect mental health. This multifaceted relationship makes for complex connections between sleep and psychiatric disorders, but it also means that treatment for both issues can go hand-in-hand. Steps to improve sleep may even form part of a preventive mental health strategy.

Every individual’s situation is different, so the optimal treatment for mental health and sleep problems depends on the person. Because these conditions can have a major impact on quality of life, it’s important to receive proper care, which entails working with a trained health professional.

A medical doctor or psychiatrist can review the potential benefits and risks of different types of treatments, including prescription medications. They can provide tailored care, including in situations with multiple co-occurring physical or mental health issues. For example, diagnosing and treating an underlying condition like obstructive sleep apnea may offer benefits for mental health.

While treatment plans can vary considerably, some approaches that may be considered to help with sleep and mental health are described in the following sections.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) describes a type of counseling known as talk therapy. It works by examining patterns of thinking and working to reformulate negative thoughts in new ways.

Different types of CBT have been developed for specific problems such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. In addition, CBT for insomnia (CBT-I) has a proven track record in reducing sleeping problems. A large clinical trial also showed that CBT-I could reduce symptoms of many mental health conditions, improving emotional well-being and decreasing psychotic episodes.

Whether and how types of CBT can be combined or sequenced to address both sleep and mental health problems is subject to ongoing research, but for many patients, help from a trained counselor to reframe their thinking can meaningfully improve both their sleep and mental state.

Improve Sleep Habits

A common cause of sleeping problems is poor sleep hygiene. Stepping up sleep hygiene by cultivating habits and a bedroom setting that are conducive to sleep can go a long way in reducing sleep disruptions.

Examples of steps that can be taken for healthier sleep habits include:

Having a set bedtime and maintaining a steady sleep schedule

Finding ways to wind-down, such as with relaxation techniques, as part of a standard routine before bedtime

Avoiding alcohol, to***co, and caffeine in the evening

Dimming lights and putting away electronic devices for an hour or more before bed

Getting regular exercise and natural light exposure during the daytime

Maximizing comfort and support from your mattress, pillows, and bedding

Blocking out excess light and sound that could disrupt sleep

Finding the best routines and bedroom arrangement may take some trial and error to determine what’s best for you, but that process can pay dividends in helping you fall asleep quickly and stay asleep through the night.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority
🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌
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The End....

Written by: Eric Suni
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Alex Dimitriu
Credit: sleepfoundation.org

(Contd.)
SLEEP AND SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

Bipolar Disorder

Bipolar disorder involves episodes of extreme moods that can be both high (mania) and low (depression). A person’s feelings and symptoms are quite different depending on the type of episode; however, both manic and depressive periods can cause major impairment in everyday life.

In people with bipolar disorder, sleep patterns change considerably depending on their emotional state. During manic periods, they usually feel less need to sleep, but during depressed periods, they may sleep excessively. Sleep disruptions often continue when a person is between episodes.

Research has found that many people with bipolar disorder experience changes in their sleep patterns before the onset of an episode. There is also evidence that sleeping problems induce or worsen manic and depressive periods and that, because of the bidirectional relationship between bipolar disorder and sleep, treatment for insomnia can reduce the impact of bipolar disorder.

Maladaptive Daydreaming
Grief and Its Effect on Sleep
Eating Disorders and Sleep

Schizophrenia is a mental health disorder characterized by a difficulty in differentiating between what is and is not real. People with schizophrenia are more likely to experience insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders. Sleeping problems may be exacerbated by medications that are used to treat schizophrenia. Poor sleep and symptoms of schizophrenia may be mutually reinforcing, so there are potential benefits to stabilizing and normalizing sleep patterns.

ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that involves reduced attention span and increased impulsiveness. ADHD is usually diagnosed in children, but it may last into adulthood and is sometimes only formally diagnosed when someone is already an adult.

Sleeping problems are common in people with ADHD. They may have difficulty falling asleep, frequent awakenings, and excessive daytime sleepiness. Rates of other sleeping problems, such as obstructive sleep apnea and restless leg syndrome (RLS) also appear to be higher in people with ADHD. Sleep difficulties associated with ADHD have been studied primarily in children but have been found to affect adults as well.

There is evidence of a bidirectional relationship between sleep and ADHD. In addition to being a consequence of ADHD, sleep problems may aggravate symptoms like reduced attention span or behavior problems.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a term that encompasses several neurodevelopmental conditions affecting communication and social interaction. These conditions are usually diagnosed early in childhood and may persist in adulthood.

Children and adolescents with ASD have a higher prevalence of sleep problems including insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing. These issues tend to be more persistent than sleeping problems in children without ASD, and they can contribute to a worsening of symptoms and quality of life for people with the condition. Addressing insomnia and other sleep disturbances is an important component of care as it may decrease excessive daytime sleepiness as well as other health and behavior problems in people with ASD.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority
🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌
Do not forget to like this page if you have not done so.
Also, leave a comment in the comments section below
Don't forget to share this post with your friends and loved ones
I love you all❤️❤️❤️❤️
To be continued...

Written by: Eric Suni
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Alex Dimitriu
Credit: sleepfoundation.org

SLEEP AND SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS

The way that sleep and mental health are intertwined becomes even more apparent by reviewing what is known about how sleep is tied to a number of specific mental health conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders.

Depression

It is estimated that over 300 million people worldwide have depression, a type of mood disorder marked by feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Around 75% of depressed people show symptoms of insomnia, and many people with depression also suffer from excessive daytime sleepiness and hypersomnia, which is sleeping too much.

Historically, sleeping problems were seen as a consequence of depression, but growing evidence suggests that poor sleep may induce or exacerbate depression. The difficulty in identifying clear cause and effect reflects what is believed to be a bidirectional relationship in which sleep problems and depressive symptoms are mutually reinforcing.

While this can create a negative feedback loop — poor sleep worsens depression that then further interrupts sleep — it also opens a potential avenue for new types of treatment for depression. For example, for at least some people, a focus on improving sleep may have a corollary benefit of reducing the symptoms of depression.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Seasonal affective disorder is a subtype of depression that most often affects people during times of the year with reduced daylight hours. For example, people in northern climates may experience seasonal affective disorder during the fall and winter.

This condition is closely tied to the disruption of a person’s internal biological clock, or circadian rhythm, that helps control multiple bodily processes, including sleep. Not surprisingly, then, people with seasonal affective disorder tend to sleep too much or too little or experience changes to their sleep cycles.

Anxiety Disorders

Every year, anxiety disorders in America affect an estimated 20% of adults and 25% of teenagers. These disorders create excess fear or worry that can affect everyday life and create risks for health problems including heart disease and diabetes. Types of anxiety disorders include general anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, specific phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Anxiety disorders have a strong association with sleeping problems. Worry and fear contribute to a state of hyperarousal in which the mind is racing, and hyperarousal is considered to be a central contributor to insomnia. Sleep problems may become an added source of worry, creating anticipatory anxiety at bedtime that makes it harder to fall asleep.

Research has found an especially strong connection between PTSD and sleep. People with PTSD frequently replay negative events in their mind, suffer from nightmares, and experience a state of being on alert, all of which can interfere with sleep. PTSD affects many veterans, and at least 90% of U.S. veterans with combat-related PTSD from recent wars have insomnia symptoms.

Sleeping problems aren’t just a result of anxiety. Research indicates that poor sleep can activate anxiety in people who are a high-risk for it, and chronic insomnia may be a predisposing trait among people who go on to develop anxiety disorders.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority
🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌
Do not forget to like this page if you have not done so.
Also, leave a comment in the comments section below
Don't forget to share this post with your friends and loved ones
I love you all❤️❤️❤️❤️
To be continued...

Written by: Eric Suni
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Alex Dimitriu
Credit: sleepfoundation.org

MENTAL HEALTH AND SLEEP

Most people know firsthand that sleep affects their mental state. After all, there’s a reason it’s said that someone in a bad mood “woke up on the wrong side of the bed.”

As it turns out, there’s quite a bit of truth behind this colloquial saying. Sleep is closely connected to mental and emotional health and has demonstrated links to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other conditions.

While research is ongoing to better understand the connections between mental health and sleep, the evidence to date points to a bidirectional relationship. Mental health disorders tend to make it harder to sleep well. At the same time, poor sleep, including insomnia, can be a contributing factor to the initiation and worsening of mental health problems.

Both sleep and mental health are complex issues affected by a multitude of factors, but, given their close association, there is strong reason to believe that improving sleep can have a beneficial impact on mental health and can be a component of treating many psychiatric disorders.

How is Mental Health Related to Sleep?

Brain activity fluctuates during sleep, increasing and decreasing during different sleep stages that make up the sleep cycle. In NREM (non-rapid eye movement) sleep, overall brain activity slows, but there are quick bursts of energy. In REM sleep, brain activity picks up rapidly, which is why this stage is associated with more intense dreaming.

Each stage plays a role in brain health, allowing activity in different parts of the brain to ramp up or down and enabling better thinking, learning, and memory. Research has also uncovered that brain activity during sleep has profound effects on emotional and mental health.

Sufficient sleep, especially REM sleep, facilitates the brain’s processing of emotional information. During sleep, the brain works to evaluate and remember thoughts and memories, and it appears that a lack of sleep is especially harmful to the consolidation of positive emotional content. This can influence mood and emotional reactivity and is tied to mental health disorders and their severity, including the risk of suicidal ideas or behaviors.

As a result, the traditional view, which held that sleep problems were a symptom of mental health disorders, is increasingly being called into question. Instead, it is becoming clear that there is a bidirectional relationship between sleep and mental health in which sleeping problems may be both a cause and consequence of mental health problems.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is another aspect of sleep that has been linked to mental health. OSA is a disorder that involves pauses in breathing during sleep and a reduction in the body’s oxygen levels, creating fragmented and disturbed sleep. OSA occurs more frequently in people with psychiatric conditions and may detract from their physical health and heighten their risk of serious mental distress.

Although further research is needed to identify the diverse connections between sleep and mental health, the existing evidence demonstrates that there is a multifaceted relationship that can be influenced by numerous factors in any specific person’s case.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority
🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌
Do not forget to like this page if you have not done so.
Also, leave a comment in the comments section below
Don't forget to share this post with your friends and loved ones
I love you all❤️❤️❤️❤️
To be continued...

Written by: Eric Suni
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Alex Dimitriu
Credit: sleepfoundation.org

Continuation from previous post:

TREATMENT FOR AN IDENTITY CRISIS

Questioning your sense of self may be stressful, but it can actually be a good thing in the long term. Knowing who you are better and adapting to changes can help you grow as a person.

Here are some things you can do to get through an identity crisis:

Look inward and explore

Take some time out to really look within yourself and ask yourself some questions about what you like and don’t like anymore.

Ask yourself questions and see if you can answer them over time and if the answers help you figure things out. Remember, you don’t have to have all the answers — and they may change from year to year, or decade to decade.

Questions might include:

What qualities and characteristics define you? How has this changed over the years?

If you’re experiencing a major life change: How have things changed for you? Are you content with these changes? How can you cope with these new things occurring?

What are your values? Is anything working in opposition to them?

What are your interests, passions, and hobbies? Are you doing what you like to do, and if not, why not? (If you love to play tennis and haven’t for several years, what factors are preventing it?)

What grounds you? What helps you cope when you’re struggling?

What’s important to you regarding your values, purpose in life, or sense of identity? Is there anything you feel you can do to improve your sense of self?

Search for joy and other ways to cope

What makes you happy? What gives your life a sense of purpose and joy?

You don’t necessarily have to have the perfect job, but if you aren’t doing anything fulfilling in your life, then this might be why you feel like you’re in crisis.

You may find fulfillment in volunteering, taking up a new hobby, connecting with others, or any number of other things outside of your employment. Or, you may find that a new job will be a more appropriate match for who you are.

Find support

Having good social support can help influence how well you cope with big changes, stressors, or questions of identity. There are so many places you can find support.

Look for support in:

friends, partners, and family members

your community or church

a new group, club, or meetup that shares your interests

a support group, especially when dealing with a new health issue

mental health group or individual therapies

team sports or activities

Ignore internal and external judgment

Other people’s expectations as well as our own can have a big effect on how we’re feeling. But don’t let society’s standards dictate who you are and what you should like.

Just because you’re of a certain age, gender, or cultural group, doesn’t mean that you need to follow along if you no longer believe in what you’re following.

Your self-perception is important to your overall well-being, and spending time and energy on judgmental thinking can get you nowhere. It may take time for the people you love to understand any changes you make, but you’ll be happier in the long term if you’re true to yourself.

Seek outside help

If the stress ever gets to be too much, consider seeking outside help. This can come from a trustworthy friend or family member to talk to, or a mental health professional to help you resolve and cope with what’s going on.

Never feel afraid to ask for help. Life — especially big changes — can feel scary, but we all go through it.

The takeaway

Sense of self and identity is important to everyone. Although having an identity crisis can make you feel lost or frustrated, these types of crises can also be fundamentally helpful.

Questioning your sense of self, your purpose, and your values can help you gain a better sense of you who are and who you will be. Remember, change is a part of life, and looking back you will see that you’ve been changing all along.

If you’re experiencing a lot of major life stressors and you feel like you’re in a serious mental health crisis, contact a professional who can help you work through what you’re going through.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority 🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌

Do not forget to like this page if you have not done so.
Also, leave a comment in the comments section below
Don't forget to share this post with your friends and loved ones
I love you all❤️❤️❤️❤️.

The End.
Piece: Healthline.com

Continuation from previous post....

SIGNS AND CAUSES OF IDENTITY CRISIS

Viewing yourself or your life negatively has been shownTrusted Source to be a marker for vulnerability to depression.

If you have any signs of depression, consider seeking help. You should seek help immediately if they’re accompanied by suicidal thoughts.

Symptoms of depression can include:

depressed mood or feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness

loss of interest in things once enjoyed

fatigue

irritability

changes in appetite or weight

issues with concentration, energy levels, motivation, and sleep

Causes of an identity crisis

Although often thought of as happening at certain ages (for instance, in teens or during “midlife crises”), an identity crisis can happen to anyone, of any age, at any point in one’s life.

Oftentimes, identity crises or other mental health issues can arise due to major life stressors. These stressors don’t have to be inherently bad, but they can still cause a lot of stress, which makes you question who you are and what you value.

Stressors can include:

getting married

getting divorced or separated

moving

experiencing a traumatic event

losing a loved one

losing or getting a job

new health issues

These and other stressors can certainly have an impact on your daily life and how you see yourself.

One recent study found that factors such as social support, stress levels, and health issues could all influence the development of an often-called midlife crisis.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority 🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌

Do not forget to like this page if you have not done so.
Also, leave a comment in the comments section below
Don't forget to share this post with your friends and loved ones
I love you all❤️❤️❤️❤️.

To be Continued....

IDENTITY CRISIS

Are you questioning who you are? Maybe what your purpose is, or what your values are? If so, you may be going through what some call an identity crisis.
Identity crisis is a period of uncertainty and confusion in which a person's sense of identity becomes insecure, typically due to a change in their expected aims or role in society. It is a developmental event that involves a person questioning their sense of self or place in the world. The concept originates in the work of developmental psychologist Erik Erikson, who believed that the formation of identity was one of the most important conflicts that people face.

SYMPTOMS OF AN IDENTITY CRISIS

Having an identity crisis isn’t a diagnosable condition, so there aren’t typical “symptoms,” as with a cold or flu. Instead, here are the signs you may be experiencing an identity crisis:

You’re questioning who you are — overall or with regards to a certain life aspect such as relationships, age, or career.

You’re experiencing great personal conflict due to the questioning of who you are or your role in society.

Big changes have recently occurred that have affected your sense of self, such as a divorce.

You’re questioning things such as your values, spirituality, beliefs, interests, or career path that have a major impact on how you see yourself.

You’re searching for more meaning, reason, or passion in your life.

It’s completely normal to question who you are, especially since we change throughout our lives. However, when it begins to affect your daily thinking or functioning, you may be having a crisis of identity.

Any type of crisis can also result in a decline in your mental health.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority 🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌

Do not forget to like this page if you have not done so.
Also, leave a comment in the comments section below
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I love you all❤️❤️❤️❤️.

To be Continued....

THE MONKEY MIND

How busy many a mind can be? Often plagued by the vast array of endless voices contemplating the cascading changes of life. Baffled by the imbalances of experiences stemmed from obscurity in purpose for existence.

The monkey mind depicts a mind that jumps from thought to thought as a monkey jumps from tree to tree. The monkey mind cannot exist in the present moment, but rather is incessantly distracted by the thoughts that pass through. How devastating and deprecated life can be for one who is imprisoned in this state. Day after day people's minds are preoccupied with thoughts about what becomes of the future for them. Uncertain of how nature generously provides for the future, are not able to see the abundance of the present.

Worry, anxiety, fear amongst others are typical of the monkey mind which can be tamed only if one agrees to let go off circumstances of the past, present and future that are out of one's control. Life is replete with events beyond explanations and control.

One should learn to let go of such and focus more on the present and things that can be properly controlled and are within grasp.

A constructive thought life and even more lucidness of one's life purpose becomes imperative to surmount the monkey mind.
Don't allow your mind to ruin the present while thinking of tomorrow.

Arrange your thoughts and have a pragmatic approach to life's present demand.

Anticipate the future with focus and a proper reference.

Your Mental Health should be your utmost priority 🙏🙏🙏

Remember, Your Mental Health is as important as your physical health 👌👌👌
Do not forget to like this page if you have not done so.
Also, leave a comment in the comments section below
Don't forget to share this post with your friends and loved ones
I love you all❤️❤️❤️❤️

Pessimism guides Weakness:Optimism guides the power

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening,
Thank you to each and every one of you for your patience and understanding. We are very pleased to be able to welcome those of you that have been with us for a long time now as well as those who are new to this Page/Community(those who joined during our break)

Before we get started, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all of you who generously helped us make this vision and community come together to become a success. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Our passion for your mental health help us all to unite and the energy we create is what allows us to achieve our goals and vision as a community.We need you as much as you need us and that's why we are grateful to have you as a part of this community.

Our PHOBIA SERIES will be on hold for now(Please bear with us)
During the next few months, we will give out a whole lot of enlightenment and awareness through our planned activities.I hope these will help you grow to be more mentally fit and productive
Well, I don’t want to take too much of your time,So a very warm welcome to each and every one of you, if you have any questions, suggestions, or clarifications, you can send a message to us via our email address@youandyourmentalhealth1@gmail.com

Thank you very much and do have a lovely week!
Health is wealth❤️❤️

Phobia series resumes soon as we are on an impromptu break. Thanks for your understanding. More content coming your way soon.

📌ACROPHOBIA

Acrophobia is defined as an intense fear of heights or high objects.Unlike aerophobia,which is the fear of flying, acrophobia can cause you to fear a variety of things related to being far from the ground. Depending on the phobia's severity, you may fear being on a high floor of a building as much as simply climbing a staircase.If a person has acrophobia, being high up or thinking about heights may cause them to have a panic attack, for this reason, a person with acrophobia will actively avoid situations that involve being high up off the ground.Acrohobis falls into the category of a specific phobia(fear relating to a particular situation) and it happens to be among the most common phobias
Although a dislike or slight fear of heights is normal, people with acrophobia have an extreme irrational fear of heights. A person does not need to be especially high up for this severe anxiety to arise

CAUSES....

Phobias typically develop in childhood, there is no single cause of acrophobia.the fear of heights may be innate.A child who has had or witnessed someone else have a bad experience with heights may also develop acrophobia e.g If a child has a bad experience, such as falling out of a tree, they may associate this experience with heights.

PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS/BEHAVIOURS OF AN ACROPHOBIC INDIVIDUAL

*Shortness of breath

*Sweating

*Nausea

📌Their behaviours......

Avoiding scenarios that may expose them to heights

They avoid talking about heights

Experiencing panic at the thought of having to be somewhere high up

Worrying about future scenarios in which they may encounter heights

•The fear of being entrapped in a place that is high up

TREATMENTS/SOLUTIONS......

Sometimes sedatives may be used for short-term relief in specific situations to help relieve the panic and anxiety the individual feels

Doing yoga

Deep breathe

Meditation or progressive muscle relaxation can also help individuals cope with stress and anxiety.

Regular exercise can also help

If you suspect you or a friend/loved one may be suffering from aerophobia, anxiety, or any other mental health condition, we and your mental health strongly recommend that you seek help from a mental health professional to receive proper diagnosis and support.

You And Your Mental Health Send a message to learn more.

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES: PHOBIA

WHAT IS PHOBIA???

PHOBIA is an anxiety disorder characterised by obsessive, irrational, and intense fear of a specific object,an activity or a physical situation.The fear, which sometimes is out of proportion to reality, usually results from early painful or unpleasant experiences involving a particular object or situation.

📌AEROPHOBIA

Aerophobia is an irrational fear of flying(on air planes,helicopters),fear of fresh air
Individuals who suffers from aerophobia usually experience severe anxiety even though they actually realize moments later that the flying does not pose a threat commensurate with their fear

CAUSES OF AEROPHOBIA

There is actually no specific cause of aerophobia,as the fear usually originates from a combination of factors. The fear of heights can be genetically inherited, or the fear of flying may be modeled to kids by their parents.
Increased exposure to media that show plane crashes or other incidents may also play a role
Most sufferers of aerophobia are people who fear flying because they feel that they have no control over the situation and their safety.
The longer a person avoids flying, the more this fear may likely increase. Sometimes this fear is also associated with other phobias, such as fear of vomiting (emetophobia), fear of heights (acrophobia) or the fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia).

OTHER SYMPTOMS......
*Nausea

*Shortness of breath

*Choking sensation

TREATMENTS.....?

Think about releasing control of the situation to the pilot,release your fears

Cross your ankles and cross your hands in front of your chest.

Breathe deeply while resting your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

Lower the window shade so you are not distracted with moving elements.

Do mindfulness and meditation exercises daily a week or two before a flight.

Find things that help you stay focused and less anxious, find soothing music,pack snacks that you enjoy but also make you feel good(preferably,sugar free)

If you suspect you or a friend/loved one may be suffering from aerophobia, anxiety, or any other mental health condition, we and your mental health strongly recommend that you seek help from a mental health professional to receive proper diagnosis and support.