Are You Mentally Healthy? The Silent Battle Many Face

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Amelia, a 35-year-old working professional, had always been known as a successful employee. Her colleagues always appreciated her dedication and her family took pride in her achievements. Even though everything was going perfectly, she was fighting a silent battle inside. She thought her fatigue, loss of concentration, and social withdrawal were results of stress. But she was unaware that these were warning signs of poor mental health. Like Amelia, millions globally struggle with undiagnosed mental health disorders – a crisis aggravated by stigma and lack of mindfulness.

This articleThis article aims to address following critical questions: answers critical questions:

• “Am I mentally healthy?”
• “What are the signs of mental illness?”
• “How can I improve my emotional wellness?”

What Does It Mean to Be Mentally Healthy?

Mental health doesn’t mean just to be free from illness; it’s a state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being (WHO, 2023). “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well” as defined by WHO.

Common mental health problems include:

• Depression (persistent sadness, loss of interest)
• Anxiety disorders (excessive worry, panic attacks)
• Burnout (chronic workplace stress)
• Bipolar disorder (extreme mood swings)

Mental disorders are defined as abnormalities in thought, emotion, or behavior that interfere with day-to-day functioning, as defined by the ICD-11. Still, 1 in 4 persons worldwide will deal with a mental health problem at some point in their lives (WHO, 2022). A mental disorder affected nearly one-in-five of US adults (from mild-to-severe) in 2024, with 5.86% suffering from a severe mental disease as per National Institute of Mental Health, 2024.

Ask yourself:

• “Is a self-evaluation of my mental health necessary?“
• “Do my coping mechanisms benefit or hurt me?

Global Mental Health Crisis: Statistics You Can’t Ignore

• 970 million people live with a mental disorder and of whom 82 percent live in lower- and middle-income countries (WHO, 2022).
• Depression and anxiety rose by 25% post-COVID (Santomauro et al., 2021).
• Three-fourth of people in low-income countries lack access to care (WHO, 2021).
• Suicide claims 700,000 lives yearly (WHO, 2021).

Why this matter?
Ignoring mental health symptoms as Amelia did in given scenario can deteriorate outcomes. Early intervention saves lives.

How to Improve Mental Health: A 5-Step Checklist

1️. Recognize the Signs: irritability, fatigue, sleep issues, or social withdrawal may indicate a problem.
2️. Adopt Healthy Habits: Exercise, mindfulness, and balanced nutrition are proven strategies to boost emotional wellness.
3️. Seek Professional Help: Therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy apps can guide recovery.
4️. Build a Support System: Families and workplaces must initiate mental health conversations.
5️. Advocate for Change: Demand policies for affordable mental health care and workplace employee assistance programmes.

Why Mental Health Care Fails (And how to fix it?)

1. Stigma and Cultural Barriers

• Myth: “Mental illness is a weakness.”
• Reality: It’s a medical condition. Open dialogue reduces stigma.
• Myth: “Mental health cannot be cured.”
• Reality: “It can be completely care with the appropriate treatment approach.”

2. Lack of Access to Care

• Low-income countries have 0.13 psychiatrists per 100,000 people (WHO, 2021).
• Fix: Expand telepsychiatry and train community health workers to deliver essential mental health services to outreach population.

3. Economic Costs

• Depression/anxiety cost the economy $1 trillion/year (Chisholm et al., 2016).
• Fix: Invest in family along with workplace stress management programs.

4.  Strategies to Protect Your Mental Health

1. Take a Mental Health Self-Assessment: Use free online tools like the WHO’s mental wellness test..
2. Practice Daily Mindfulness: Even 10 minutes of meditation reduces anxiety.
3. Talk About It: Join peer-support groups or confide in trusted friends.
4. Set Boundaries: Prioritize work-life balance to avoid burnout.
5. Leverage Technology: Try AI-driven apps like Woebot for 24/7 CBT support.

Conclusion: Break the Silence Like Amelia

Amelia’s story can be taken as a wake-up call. What about you? Are you mentally healthy? Don’t wait for a calamity – act now. Recognize the signs of mental illness, seek help, and advocate for systemic alteration. Mental health service is not a luxury; it’s a human right and should be treated as essential components of once daily life.

References

• Chisholm, D., Sweeny, K., Sheehan, P., Rasmussen, B., Smit, F., Cuijpers, P., & Saxena, S. (2016). Scaling-up treatment of depression and anxiety: A global return on investment analysis. The Lancet Psychiatry, 3(5), 415-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)30024-4
• Santomauro, D. F., Mantilla Herrera, A. M., Shadid, J., Zheng, P., Ashbaugh, C., Pigott, D. M., … & Vos, T. (2021). Global prevalence and burden of depressive and anxiety disorders in 204 countries and territories in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet, 398(10312), 1700-1712. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)02143-7
• World Health Organization. (2019). International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision (ICD-11). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/
• World Health Organization. (2021). Mental health atlas 2020. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240036703
• World Health Organization. (2022). World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240051942
• World Health Organization. (2023). Mental health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/health-topics/mental-health#tab=tab_1