Mental health matters

The influence of National Suicide Prevention Week has caused members of the Samo community to delve into their personal thoughts on mental health. Throughout the week, social media was racked with users posting numbers for various hotlines. These constant reminders of what the week stood for led many to ask themselves about their own mental health, before quickly blowing it off due to thinking something such as, “I do not have a diagnosed mental illness. My mental health is fine.” However, this is a very common and extremely inaccurate misconception. Just because one does not have a diagnosed mental illness, in no way means they have perfect mental health. Mental health is both one’s approach to life and one’s outlook, how they feel about themselves and how these thoughts affect their ability to be productive. Not having a diagnosed illness does not mean one is automatically healthy and one does not have to be “sick” or “diseased” to be mentally unhealthy. Mental illness and mental health are different, yet they often directly affect each other and are equally important to understand and be aware of. As mental illnesses tend to have more outwardly obvious detrimental effects and are typically treatable with medication, few know how to look for and treat negative mental health. Mental health is controlled by one’s thoughts, reactions, emotions and behaviors. These four factors can have either a very positive or very negative influence on the overall mental health of a person. For example, if someone were to get a bad grade on a test they put all their effort into studying for, the situation could be handled in a variety of ways. At one extreme, they could tell themselves they are stupid, attain a horrible stomach ache, feel overwhelmingly angry and punch a hole in the wall. At the other, they could tell themselves they will do better next time, stay calm, feel content knowing they have a chance to do better in the future and study even harder. While one does not need to handle such a situation to the level of positivity the second example did, it is important to understand that one is in full control of their own mental health in this kind of way. It is just as important to understand that declining mental health does not just affect one person. Being constantly angry, frustrated or sad can cause a person to take their negative feelings out on friends and family, significantly hurting relationships. Deficient mental health can also cause one to feel unmotivated, leading to unsatisfactory performance in work and school. I can attest to the fact that thinking negatively about yourself and the decisions you have made can distract you from school.  Many would agree the most prominent factor that pushes at the mental health of high school students in college. From the time freshman year starts, if not before, the idea of college is constantly pressing at the back of student’s minds. Students tend to partake in  a number of classes and activities that they do not love in hopes that it will get them into college. Instead, they find themselves overworked and unhappy, with less and less motivation every day. This is a very common and unfortunate cycle that destroys one’s mental health and causes both grades and morale to shoot down, reversing the point of overworking oneself. In order to avoid this one needs to make sure they are only taking classes and involving themselves in activities that they are ready for and are willing to commit to. However, it is just as important to make sure you are involved in something. To be an active participant in something you enjoy is an automatic boost to your mental health. Finding an activity or class that keeps you constantly interested and on your feet is key to a successful career in school. When you are confident and happy with where your life stands, you feel like you can do anything and have the motivation to do so as well. Everything becomes easier, and you do significantly better for yourself in terms of both school and relationships with your loved ones. Take a minute to breathe and think about your life. Ask yourself some questions. Are you happy? Have you been happier? Why? If your mental health has been better, try to pinpoint what differences in your life have brought it down.  If you find that you are struggling with your mental health, try to relax and do the things that make you happy with the people who make you happy. However, if you find yourself struggling repeatedly with the same issues, refer to the resources below. Because your mental health matters.