A VERY enthusiastic hello is required here.
I used to write a weekly column on mental health here in the Pepperpot Magazine. Ironically, I had to take a break as there was too much on my plate and it was all starting to affect my own mental health. Now, I have more balance and have taken all the kind words of everyone who told me over the last eight months how much my column was missed.
Although I missed it as well, I do believe everything happens as it should. Now, maybe more people will follow along with my now-monthly column.

I do believe it is important to start from the very beginning with fresh eyes through any new venture. This means that today, I will be reminding you all — as well as myself — why a column such as this one is incredibly important.

We should talk about mental health because it involves out psychological, emotional and social well-being. It almost completely dictates how we think, feel and act.
It also affects other areas in our lives that we may not readily think of, such as our physical health, stress levels, relationships, employment status, productivity levels, and motivation; it affects our ability to realize and achieve our full potential.

This means that mental health illnesses or disorders are unhealthy disruptions into our thinking, feeling and actions. They can be short-term or long-lasting and most are only treatable and maintainable, not curable. They can occur at any stage of life, as matters which can cause mental health issues can arise at any time.
Unfortunately, there is still this discriminatory belief that if one suffers from mental health issues, they may be weak or may be judged. This is a shocking belief as the World Health Organization determined that one in four individuals suffer from mental health illnesses. More locally, a 2015 study conducted by the Georgetown Public Hospital found that over 200,000 Guyanese struggle with these issues.

There is only one explanation for discrimination when there are such high numbers, which is
a lack of awareness/ exposure, which occurs when too many people suffer in silence. My major reason for re-writing this column is for people to feel confident enough to share their stories and seek help.

So, if you are struggling, by learning more, you also learn you are not alone. If you are not, you will learn how susceptible you are and who around you may need some help but are afraid to reach out for help.
Important information to avoid self- blame is how one develops a mental health disorder; sadly, most reasons are not foreign to any human being. They can arise from genetics/family history of mental illnesses, negative life experiences such as trauma, abuse, divorce, bereavement, unemployment, long-term physical illnesses, and overall lifestyle, such as diet, physical activity, and alcohol substance use. Most often, it’s a dysfunctional daily life with stress from many avenues.

Educating yourself on signs/symptoms/, preventative and treatment options for mental health issues breaks the stigma and discrimination, which brings self-acceptance, patience and love and allows room for the same for others in your life as well.

People have different priorities and make changes based on them. If relationships are valued among everything else, people will make a change when they start to see their relationships being affected– as untreated mental health issues can be detrimental to healthy relationships, due to a want/need to isolate or a change in mood or temperament.
Others value their careers more than other areas. The American Journal of Psychiatry identified that individuals with untreated mental health issues earn 40% less money than those with good mental health. This is due to factors such as low motivation, unproductivity, and sick days.

Others value physical health which is almost impossible to have without good mental health based on the motivation and energy levels required to have a balanced diet and exercise routine. Further, added and undealt-with stress can negatively affect our immune systems, resulting in more illness than the average person.
Finally, mental health awareness and treatment drastically lower suicide rates. Research conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Health determined that 46% of individuals who end their lives had a mental health issue and therefore, awareness, early identification and treatment resulted in fewer suicides.

Over the years, I have also met many people who truly believe that the topic doesn’t concern them if they aren’t struggling with mental health issues. Well, this is your reminder that a society with high mental health illness rates is also one riddled with societal issues such as crime, unemployment, substance abuse, road-traffic accidents, school drop-outs, unemployment, homelessness and so many others; believe me, it affects you in one way or another, so maybe it’s time we all take the initiative to learn and make a difference.

At this point, the most important step is determining whether you are struggling with mental health issues. It’s not as obvious to everyone as when it comes to thoughts, feelings and behaviours; sometimes, it is hard to determine the normal versus abnormal.
One should start thinking of ways to better their mental health if there is a change in their eating or sleeping habits, withdrawal from family, friends and activities once enjoyed, an inability to perform daily tasks with the same energy, motivation and productivity levels; unusual mood swings and negative behaviours; unexplained psychical aches and pains; feelings of hopelessness or helplessness; increased use of alcohol and other substances and thoughts pertaining to harming yourself or others.

Now, it’s no secret that we all can feel like any of the above from time to time, so there are two key factors to pay attention to to determine whether its normal or abnormal. One is how severe the symptoms are and the second is how long they last.
For example, you have a pet that passed away, a sad situation for anyone. You will feel sad and may not function the same for a few days or weeks; absolutely normal. However, if you are crying uncontrollably and your daily life is still affected after many months, that may be a sign that you are struggling with mental health issues.

If you are still skeptical about reaching out for help, I want to remind you of the commonality of what you are dealing with and that not every lesson needs to be learnt the hard way. The many benefits will include mood improvement; better coping with life’s stresses; increased self-esteem; improved relationships and the ability to make meaningful contributions to the community, realizing and achieving your full potential and a better overall quality of life.

Always remember that it is the strongest of people who admit a problem and seeks help. The oblivious stays in denial. The rest of us can learn and spread awareness to create a more kind and tolerant society — one person at a time is still improvement and one more every day.