Did you know that staying positive can improve your mood and your health?
May is Mental Health Month♦, observed in the USA since 1949 to create awareness and fight stigma, provide support and education to the public and advocate for equal care. This year’s theme for Mental Health Month is – Life with a Mental Illness. With mental illness, two people with the same diagnosis can experience the same symptom and describe it in very different ways.
Depression is a symptom, a sign that something is off balance or ill in the body. As a nurse, I encounter people with mental illness on a regular basis and recently, in the space of two weeks, two of my close relatives were diagnosed with clinical depression. According to Dr. Kelly Brogan, if you’re depressed you may experience some of these symptoms:
- Persistent distress, malaise, anxiety, inner agitation, fatigue, low libido, poor memory, irritability, insomnia, sense of hopelessness, and feeling overwhelmed and trapped but emotionally flat.
- You might wake up most mornings unmotivated and uninspired, and you drag yourself around all day waiting for it to end (or waiting for a drink).
- Maybe you feel a sense of dread or panic without knowing why.
- Most of the time you can’t silence the negative thoughts, which puts you on edge.
- Sometimes it seems like you could let loose an endless stream of tears, or perhaps you can’t remember the last time you cared enough about something to cry.
Some physicians believe that we owe most of our mental illnesses, including chronic worry, fogginess, and crankiness, to lifestyle factors and undiagnosed physiological conditions in organs such as our gut or thyroid. Taking good care of your body and mind can make a difference in how well you do in your day-to-day life and how well you manage change. Although caring for yourself may take a little extra time, it’s well worth it. You’ll feel better and be more successful.
Did you know that? by Mental Health America♦
- Connecting with others can help you to enjoy the times when you are alone.
- Helping others may help you experience less depression.
- Spirituality can give you a sense of purpose and meaning.
- Writing down your problems can help shift your thinking about the issue and ultimately improve your mood.
- Stress management techniques are important because chronic (long-lasting) stress can change your brain and the way you function.
Exercising, eating right, getting enough rest and relaxing will not only set you on the right path to wellness but also help you achieve and enjoy daily activities more and improve how you deal with life’s challenges. It’s also essential to choose a provider who understands the importance of the both of you working collaboratively regarding your health care.
RESOURCES:
Depression: out of the shadows by pbs.org
Depression: FAQ by womenshealth.gov
Presidential Proclamation – Barack Obama
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To Your Success,
Althea
Althea A. McLeish Wilson, RN, MSN
Promoting inner health & outer beauty!
Helping you thrive, not just survive!!
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For more information, please leave a comment or contact me at althea@altheamcleish.com.
