Mental health illnesses are more common than you think. One out of five adults has a mental illness, but most fail to realize the severity of the situation until they find themselves in it. Mental illness can result from many things such as trauma, stress, genetics, or even infections. Mental illness is just like any other illness and should be treated in such a way. The following steps can help you take full control of your mental illness and handle it properly.
Hire Assistance
A step that works is hiring a mental health assistant. These assistants can help you monitor your mental health on a daily basis. And especially when you are moving out of full-time treatment or need to go back and forth to a treatment center, safe and secure travel arrangements are essential, and thanks to mental health assistants, possible. Also, they will remind you of the medications that you must take and they will notice any sudden changes in your moods and behavior. When choosing a person to hire for this role, make sure they have a background in the mental health field and that you are comfortable with them.
Educate Yourself
An essential step to take when handling your mental illness is to inform yourself. The more you know about the subject, the better you can handle it. Keeping an open mind can help a lot in understanding how your mental health works and what the best methods are for treating it.
Being educated on your mental health diagnosis is very important. For example, if you have bipolar disorder, you must understand what it is and how it works. You need to know about the risks and triggers that may cause a sudden mood swing. If you end up having a mental health crisis, you will be able to handle it better if you understand which factors trigger it and how to manage them.
There are many ways to get information about your mental health. You can visit an expert or you can also research on the internet. There are many forums, videos, and sites that provide information on mental illness. As long as you have a reliable source, it is okay to learn about your diagnosis online.
Get Therapy
Quality therapy is also an important step to take when handling your mental illness. Therapy helps improve self-esteem, behaviors, relationships, and other factors that affect your mental health. By being able to share what you feel and think about certain things, you will be able to resolve any problems that you face.
Also, the type of therapy you pursue is important. Some types of therapies for mental illness are:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This treatment aims to improve the way one thinks and acts in daily life in order to resolve problematic behaviors.
- Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): This therapy is used to treat people with anger management issues and impulse control problems. It also helps in treating self-harm and suicidal thoughts or behaviors.
- Family Therapy: this type of therapy helps improve the way family members communicate with each other and handle mental illness the right way.
- Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: this therapy focuses a lot on the past and childhood experiences of a person which may be affecting their present mental state.
- Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: This type of therapy deals with unresolved conflicts from past experiences that can affect your thoughts, actions, and behaviors in the future.
Take Your Physical Health Seriously
Another important thing you should do when trying to handle your mental illness is to focus on your physical health. Your mental health is closely connected to your physical well-being, so if you are not taking care of yourself physically, it will be difficult for you to heal your mental illness. Taking long walks during the day, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly will contribute greatly to your healing process.
In fact, there is specific food that improves your mental health, such as:
- Watermelon: contains vitamin B6 which helps in regulating your hormonal activity.
- Avocado: contains Omega 3 fatty acids that help improve memory and reduce stress.
- Blueberries: contain antioxidants that boost up your moods.
- Spinach: contains vitamin B which helps protect your nerves.
- Oranges: reduce stress by countering the effects of cortisol in the body.
- Brown rice, chicken, and root vegetables: these foods boost up serotonin levels in your body which reduces anxiety and stabilizes your moods.
Proper rest is also important. Make sure you get seven to eight hours of sleep each night and remember to take short naps if you feel tired during the day. Your body needs time to rest and recover from any stress or trauma.
There are many things you can do to help you handle your mental illness better. Through therapies, counseling, and proper rest, you can improve your quality of life. Make sure that you have a support system so that they can help keep tabs on your mental state. Also, by understanding more about how to manage yourself, it will become easier for you to get back on track to a happier life.