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The Importance of Mental Health

It's not just a buzzword

Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

speech on mental health and its importance

Akeem Marsh, MD, is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who has dedicated his career to working with medically underserved communities.

Westend61 / Getty Images

Risk Factors for Poor Mental Health

Signs of mental health problems, benefits of good mental health, how to maintain mental health and well-being.

Your mental health is an important part of your well-being. This aspect of your welfare determines how you’re able to operate psychologically, emotionally, and socially among others.

Considering how much of a role your mental health plays in each aspect of your life, it's important to guard and improve psychological wellness using appropriate measures.

Because different circumstances can affect your mental health, we’ll be highlighting risk factors and signs that may indicate mental distress. But most importantly, we’ll dive into why mental health is so important.

Mental health is described as a state of well-being where a person is able to cope with the normal stresses of life. This state permits productive work output and allows for meaningful contributions to society.

However, different circumstances exist that may affect the ability to handle life’s curveballs. These factors may also disrupt daily activities, and the capacity to manage these changes. That's only one reason why mental health is so important.

The following factors, listed below, may affect mental well-being and could increase the risk of developing psychological disorders .

Childhood Abuse

Childhood physical assault, sexual violence, emotional abuse, or neglect can lead to severe mental and emotional distress. Abuse increases the risk of developing mental disorders like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or personality disorders.

Children who have been abused may eventually deal with alcohol and substance use issues. But beyond mental health challenges, child abuse may also lead to medical complications such as diabetes, stroke, and other forms of heart disease.

The Environment

A strong contributor to mental well-being is the state of a person’s usual environment . Adverse environmental circumstances can cause negative effects on psychological wellness.

For instance, weather conditions may influence an increase in suicide cases. Likewise, experiencing natural disasters firsthand can increase the chances of developing PTSD. In certain cases, air pollution may produce negative effects on depression symptoms.

In contrast, living in a positive social environment can provide protection against mental challenges.

Your biological makeup could determine the state of your well-being. A number of mental health disorders have been found to run in families and may be passed down to members.

These include conditions such as autism , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , bipolar disorder , depression , and schizophrenia .

Your lifestyle can also impact your mental health. Smoking, a poor diet , alcohol consumption , substance use , and risky sexual behavior may cause psychological harm. These behaviors have been linked to depression.

When mental health is compromised, it isn’t always apparent to the individual or those around them. However, there are certain warning signs to look out for, that may signify negative changes for the well-being. These include:

A switch in eating habits, whether over or undereating
A noticeable reduction in energy levels
Being more reclusive and shying away from others
Feeling persistent despair
Indulging in alcohol, tobacco, or other substances more than usual
Experiencing unexplained confusion, anger, guilt, or worry
Severe mood swings
Picking fights with family and friends
Hearing voices with no identifiable source
Thinking of self-harm or causing harm to others
Being unable to perform daily tasks with ease

Whether young or old, the importance of mental health for total well-being cannot be overstated. When psychological wellness is affected, it can cause negative behaviors that may not only affect personal health but can also compromise relationships with others.

Below are some of the benefits of good mental health.

A Stronger Ability to Cope With Life’s Stressors

When mental and emotional states are at peak levels, the challenges of life can be easier to overcome.

Where alcohol/drugs, isolation, tantrums, or fighting may have been adopted to manage relationship disputes, financial woes, work challenges, and other life issues—a stable mental state can encourage healthier coping mechanisms.

A Positive Self-Image

Mental health greatly correlates with personal feelings about oneself. Overall mental wellness plays a part in your self-esteem . Confidence can often be a good indicator of a healthy mental state.

A person whose mental health is flourishing is more likely to focus on the good in themselves. They will hone in on these qualities, and will generally have ambitions that strive for a healthy, happy life.

Healthier Relationships

If your mental health is in good standing, you might be more capable of providing your friends and family with quality time , affection , and support. When you're not in emotional distress, it can be easier to show up and support the people you care about.

Better Productivity

Dealing with depression or other mental health disorders can impact your productivity levels. If you feel mentally strong , it's more likely that you will be able to work more efficiently and provide higher quality work.

Higher Quality of Life

When mental well-being thrives, your quality of life may improve. This can give room for greater participation in community building. For example, you may begin volunteering in soup kitchens, at food drives, shelters, etc.

You might also pick up new hobbies , and make new acquaintances , and travel to new cities.

Because mental health is so important to general wellness, it’s important that you take care of your mental health.

To keep mental health in shape, a few introductions to and changes to lifestyle practices may be required. These include:

Taking up regular exercise
Prioritizing rest and sleep on a daily basis
Trying meditation
Learning coping skills for life challenges
Keeping in touch with loved ones
Maintaining a positive outlook on life

Another proven way to improve and maintain mental well-being is through the guidance of a professional. Talk therapy can teach you healthier ways to interact with others and coping mechanisms to try during difficult times.

Therapy can also help you address some of your own negative behaviors and provide you with the tools to make some changes in your own life.

The Bottom Line

So why is mental health so important? That's an easy answer: It profoundly affects every area of your life. If you're finding it difficult to address mental health concerns on your own, don't hesitate to seek help from a licensed therapist .

World Health Organization. Mental Health: Strengthening our Response .

Lippard ETC, Nemeroff CB. The Devastating Clinical Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect: Increased Disease Vulnerability and Poor Treatment Response in Mood Disorders . Am J Psychiatry . 2020;177(1):20-36. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010020

Helbich M. Mental Health and Environmental Exposures: An Editorial. Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2018;15(10):2207. Published 2018 Oct 10. doi:10.3390/ijerph15102207

National Institutes of Health. Common Genetic Factors Found in 5 Mental Disorders .

Zaman R, Hankir A, Jemni M. Lifestyle Factors and Mental Health . Psychiatr Danub . 2019;31(Suppl 3):217-220.

Medline Plus. What Is mental health? .

National Alliance on Mental Health. Why Self-Esteem Is Important for Mental Health .

By Elizabeth Plumptre Elizabeth is a freelance health and wellness writer. She helps brands craft factual, yet relatable content that resonates with diverse audiences.

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Speech on Mental Health

In recent years, mental health has become a prime focus for many professionals working in the field of medicine. We are now in an age where the overall performance of an individual depends as much on their mental health as it does on their physical health.

10 Lines Speech on Mental Health

Mental health is an important topic that needs to be talked about.

Millions of people are impacted annually by this grave problem.

It is important to have mental health conversations and destigmatize the issue

Talking about mental health can help people identify and understand their own mental health, as well as the mental health of others.

Mental illness has been stigmatized for years and we need to change that.

Mental illness can be caused by many things such as genetics, physical trauma, and social factors.

There are many different types of mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders and eating disorders.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, people have started paying more attention to mental health and well being.

Mental health should be given as much importance as physical health.

A healthy mind is necessary to have a healthy body.

200 Words Speech on Mental Health

500 words speech on mental health.

Mental health is a major issue in the world today. It is not a topic that is often discussed, and it can be difficult to know how to deal with it. But mental health is an important thing to discuss because it affects many people and can lead to other problems if left untreated. It’s important to talk about what mental health is, what causes mental health problems, and how you can help someone who has mental health issues.

The first thing that you should know about mental health is that there are many different types of disorders that fall under this category. The most common are depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). You may have heard of some of these before or seen them in the media but there are many more types than just those listed here.

The second thing to know about mental illnesses is what causes them. There are different factors that can cause someone’s brain chemistry to change which could leave a deep impression on one’s life.

Anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, can have mild to severe mental health issues. A good mental state is crucial for many reasons. It aids us in overcoming difficulties and tensions that we face on a daily basis.

The topic of mental health has to be discussed.. It is an issue that affects people from all walks of life, and it is an issue that needs to be addressed. The stigma surrounding mental health has been present for a long time, and it is still present today. People are afraid to talk about mental illness because they are afraid of what other people will think of them or how they will react.

In the past, people who were dealing with mental health issues were often stigmatized and made to feel ashamed. Mental health is not a disease that's easily understood by the general public. It's something that we're learning more about every day, and it's something we're all responsible for learning about. Mental illness is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of strength. It takes courage to face your mind and to work on improving your mental health.

Possible Causes | Mental health issues and illness can be caused by a wide variety of things. It can be caused by genetics, trauma, or a combination. Mental health is an important part of our overall well-being, and it is important to take care of it. Some causes of mental health issues are genetic. This means that they are caused by genes passed on from one or both parents to the child. Trauma is also a cause for bad mental health and this could be something that happened in the past or something happening currently in your life such as abuse, bullying, or neglect. Mental health is an important part of our overall well-being and should not be taken lightly.

Taking Care of Mental Well-Being

Here are some points on how to take care of your mental health:

Develop a routine and stick to it. This will help you get into a healthy routine and make your life more manageable.

Practice self-care by doing things that you enjoy such as reading, drawing, writing or going for walks. Self-care can also include taking time off work, getting enough sleep and eating well.

Take care of your mental health by being mindful of what you're feeling - don't ignore it or try to avoid it because this will only worsen it.

You're not the only person who has these feelings and this is not your fault.

Even if you don't feel like going out, it's important that you do so to maintain a sense of normality for yourself.

In conclusion, realise that you are not the only one in this world that is experiencing mental health issues and that there are many things for which you might be grateful for. Our emotional, psychological, and social well-being are all parts of our mental health. It influences how we think, feel, and behave. It also affects how we respond to stress. As a result, it is crucial at every stage of life. You might be able to help the other person who is struggling if you take action for yourself today. Simply keep an eye on your friends to see how they're faring.

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Speech on Importance Of Mental Health

Mental health matters just as much as physical health. It impacts your thoughts, feelings, and overall enjoyment of life. Your mental wellbeing shapes how you handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Without good mental health, life can feel heavy. It’s important to care for your mind as well as your body. Let’s understand why mental health is crucial.

1-minute Speech on Importance Of Mental Health

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we talk about a topic close to everyone – Mental Health. Just like we look after our bodies, we need to care for our minds as well. Mental health is not just about being happy all the time. It’s about feeling good about who you are, having balance in your life, and managing life’s highs and lows.

We all have feelings of being down, stressed, and scared. It’s completely normal. It’s just like when you catch a cold or have a fever. But if these feelings continue for too long, it’s a sign that something is wrong. It’s like having a fever for weeks – you know you need to see a doctor, right?

Think about this, you can’t run with a broken leg, can you? Similarly, you can’t live your best life if your mind is not at its best. Your ideas, thoughts, and feelings come from your mind. If your mind is not healthy, it’s like trying to draw with a broken pencil. It’s just harder.

Let’s remember, it’s okay to ask for help. If a friend fell and got hurt, you’d help them, wouldn’t you? Mental health is no different. It’s not a thing to be ashamed of. We all need help sometimes.

Ensuring good mental health can make life better. It can boost confidence, improve relationships, and help us achieve our goals. So, let’s promise to take care of our mental health, just like we do for our physical health. Because a healthy mind is a key to a healthy and happy life.

2-minute Speech on Importance Of Mental Health

Mental health is just as important as physical health. You may ask, “Why is that?” Well, let’s break it down. When you have a cold, you feel tired and weak, right? You might even need to stay in bed. Mental health is similar. When your mental health is not good, you might feel sad, worried, or scared all the time. It can make it hard to do everyday things, like go to school or work.

Let’s imagine our mind like a garden. If you water the plants every day, give them sunlight, and remove the weeds, they will grow well. But, what if you forget to water them, or if they don’t get enough sun? The plants won’t grow well. They may even die. Our minds are like those plants. We need to take care of them every day.

Sometimes, people think that if they can’t see a problem, it’s not there. But that’s not true. Just like you can’t see the wind, but you can feel it, mental health problems are real even if you can’t see them. They can hurt a lot and make life difficult.

Now, you might think, “I am young, I don’t have to worry about this.” But, you are wrong. Mental health is important at every age. Just like a small tree needs care to grow into a big tree, young minds need care too. If we learn to take care of our mental health when we are young, it will be easier when we are older.

Taking care of your mental health is not hard. You can talk to your friends and family about your feelings. You can do things you enjoy, like playing sports or reading books. You can also ask for help if you need it. There’s no shame in asking for help. It’s just like asking for a band-aid when you fall and hurt your knee.

In conclusion, mental health is very important. It helps us to be happy, healthy, and strong. It helps us to learn, to work, and to make friends. It’s something we should all care about, no matter how young or old we are. It’s not something to be scared of or ashamed about. It’s just another part of being human. So, let’s all promise to take care of our mental health, just like we take care of our physical health.

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Spreading the word: why we need to talk about mental health

By HealthSherpa

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but it’s important to talk about mental health all year round. In large part, this is connected to the societal stigma that has plagued mental illnesses. But this topic is about more than just disorders. Here’s what else it covers and why it’s important to talk about mental health.

What is mental health?

Mental health is a state of well-being that encompasses the emotional, psychological, and social aspects of our lives. If you have positive mental health, you’re able to realize your own potential, work productively, manage the normal stresses of life, have healthy relationships, and make a contribution to your community. Conversely, if you experience mental health problems, it could impact how you think, feel, and act, and this could adversely impact other areas of your life.

Why is it important to talk about mental health?

Mental health is a crucial part of overall health, yet it is often a hushed topic of discussion — if it’s even discussed at all. This is largely due to the stigma that has long surrounded mental illnesses. Mental disorders are actually quite common and there is treatment to help with recovery. The stigma, however, often prevents people from seeking treatment, which can isolate them even more and worsen their conditions. Talking about mental health helps improve our communities by making it more acceptable for those suffering from mental illnesses to seek help, learn to cope, and get on the road to recovery. In addition, mental health isn’t just about mental illnesses. It’s also about maintaining a positive state of wellbeing. Talking about mental health helps improve our communities by helping members maintain positive mental health, and a community of people in good mental health creates a more productive and collaborative environment.

Whom do mental illnesses impact?

Mental illnesses are common and widespread and can affect anyone. Nearly one-fifth of the U.S. adult population lives with some sort of mental disorder, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Approximately four percent live with a serious mental illness. The statistics are similar for children and adolescents. The CDC estimates that approximately 13-20 percent of minors in the U.S. experience a mental disorder in any given year. In fact, 75 percent of mental illnesses manifest before age 24, with 50% showing the first signs before age 14. When you add in the family members and friends who are supporting those living with a mental illness, the number of Americans impacted is significant.

What are some of the most common mental illnesses in the United States?

Anxiety disorders are the most common, with nearly one-fifth of the adult population in the U.S. living with this type of mental illness. Many people with anxiety disorders also suffer from depression. In the United States, nearly seven percent of the adult population live with major depression. Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are also more common in the U.S. than you might think at 2.6 percent and 1.1 percent of the adult population, respectively.

What are the signs and symptoms of the most common mental illnesses?

Each mental illness is different, though some have overlapping symptoms. There are, however, some warning signs that could indicate a need to see a medical or mental health professional. These early warning signs include:

Eating or sleeping too much or too little
Abusing alcohol, drugs, or tobacco
Fighting more with friends and family
Considering harming yourself or others
Feeling fatigued with low or no energy
Feeling apathetic
Feeling hopeless or helpless
Feeling sad or irritable for long periods of time
Experiencing excessive amounts of anger, anxiety, confusion, fear, forgetfulness, and worry
Experiencing extreme mood swings that negatively impact relationships
Experiencing unexplained physical pain
Hearing voices or having delusional thoughts
Withdrawing from other people and social activities
Being unable to do your daily tasks

What should I do if I think I have a mental health issue?

Find and talk with a mental health professional if you think you may be living with a mental illness so you can get the appropriate treatment. This is important for both your mental and physical health. In addition to impacting your day-to-day life and potentially causing financial distress due to lost earnings, serious mental illnesses also increase your risk of having chronic medical conditions. You can also take screening tests for some mental disorders, but only a mental health professional can formally diagnose you and get you on the road to recovery.

How can I help a friend or family member who has or may have a mental health issue?

Learning the signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other common mental health illnesses can help you spot potential mental health issues. If you’re concerned, talk to your loved one and encourage him or her to speak with a mental health professional. If you think your friend or family member may hurt him or herself, encourage them to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK to chat with a trained crisis worker. Online chat is also available.

Is mental health coverage included under the Affordable Care Act?

Yes! Mental health services are one of the essential health benefits that are mandated by the ACA . Coverage includes behavioral health treatments such as counseling and psychotherapy, inpatient services for mental and behavioral health, and treatment for substance abuse. The exact mental health benefits you have will depend on your health insurance plan. In addition, most plans also include preventive mental health services such as depression screenings.

How can I maintain positive mental health?

Being mentally healthy allows you to realize your own potential and help with that of your community’s. Proactive ways to maintain positive mental health include exercising, getting adequate sleep, learning how to cope with life’s stresses , connecting with other people, and speaking with a mental health professional when you need it.

One Comments

nice information, Thanks for sharing.

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How should we talk about mental health? | ideas.ted.com

Mental health suffers from a major image problem. One in every four people experiences mental health issues — yet more than 40 percent of countries worldwide have no mental health policy. Across the board it seems like we have no idea how to talk about it respectfully and responsibly.

Stigma and discrimination are the two biggest obstacles to a productive public dialogue about mental health; indeed, the problem seems to be largely one of communication. So we asked seven mental health experts: How should we talk about mental health? How can informed and sensitive people do it right – and how can the media do it responsibly?

End the stigma

Easier said than done, of course. Says journalist Andrew Solomon : “People still think that it’s shameful if they have a mental illness. They think it shows personal weakness. They think it shows a failing. If it’s their children who have mental illness, they think it reflects their failure as parents.” This self-inflicted stigma can make it difficult for people to speak about even their own mental health problems. According to neuroscientist Sarah Caddick , this is because when someone points to his wrist to tell you it’s broken, you can easily understand the problem, but that’s not the case when the issue is with the three-pound mass hidden inside someone’s skull. “The minute you start talking about your mind, people get very anxious, because we associate that with being who we are, fundamentally with ‘us’ — us as a person, us as an individual, our thoughts, our fears, our hopes, our aspirations, our everything.” Says mental health care advocate Vikram Patel , “Feeling miserable could in fact be seen as part of you or an extension of your social world, and applying a biomedical label is not always something that everyone with depression, for example, is comfortable with.” Banishing the stigma attached to mental health issues can go a long way to facilitating genuinely useful conversations.

Avoid correlations between criminality and mental illness

People are too quick to dole out judgments on people who experience mental health problems, grouping them together when isolated incidents of violence or crime occur. Says Caddick , “You get a major incident like Columbine or Virginia Tech and then the media asks, ‘Why didn’t people know that he was bipolar?’ ‘Was he schizophrenic?’ From there, some people think, ‘Well, everybody with bipolar disease is likely to go out and shoot down a whole bunch of people in a school,’ or, ‘People who are schizophrenics shouldn’t be out on the street.’” Solomon agrees that this correlation works against a productive conversation about mental health: “The tendency to connect people’s crimes to mental illness diagnoses that are not in fact associated with criminality needs to go away. ‘This person murdered everyone because he was depressed.’ You think, yes, you could sort of indicate here this person was depressed and he murdered everyone, but most people who are depressed do not murder everyone.”

But do correlate more between mental illness and suicide

According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or other mental disorders, or substance-abuse disorders in conjunction with other mental disorders. Yet we don’t give this link its due. Says Solomon , “Just as the association between mental illness and crime is too strong, the connection between mental illness and suicide is too weak. So I feel like what I constantly read in the articles is that ‘so-and-so killed himself because his business had gone bankrupt and his wife had left him.’ And I think, okay, those were the triggering circumstances, but he killed himself because he suffered from a mental illness that drove him to kill himself. He was terribly depressed.”

Avoid words like “crazy” or “psycho”

Not surprisingly, nearly all the mental health experts we consulted were quick to decry playground slang like “mental,” “schizo,” “crazy,” “loonie,” or “nutter,” stigmatizing words that become embedded in people’s minds from a young age. NIMH Director Thomas Insel takes that one step further — he doesn’t like the category of “mental health problems” in general. He says, “Should we call cancer a ‘cell cycle problem’? Calling serious mental illness a ‘behavioral health problem’ is like calling cancer a ‘pain problem.’” Comedian Ruby Wax , however, has a different point of view: “I call people that are mentally disturbed, you know, I say they’re crazy. I think in the right tone, that’s not the problem. Let’s not get caught in the minutiae of it.”

If you feel comfortable talking about your own experience with mental health, by all means, do so

Self-advocacy can be very powerful. It reaches people who are going through similar experiences as well as the general public. Solomon believes that people equipped to share their experiences should do so: “The most moving letter I ever received in a way was one that was only a sentence long, and it came from someone who didn’t sign his name. He just wrote me a postcard and said, ‘I was going to kill myself, but I read your book and changed my mind.’ And really, I thought, okay, if nobody else ever reads anything I’ve written, I’ve done some good in the world. It’s very important just to keep writing about these things, because I think there’s a trickle-down effect, and that the vocabulary that goes into serious books actually makes its way into the common experience — at least a little bit of it does — and makes it easier to talk about all of these things.” Solomon , Wax , as well as Temple Grandin , below, have all become public figures for mental health advocacy through sharing their own experiences.

Don’t define a person by his/her mental illnesses

Just as a tumor need not define a person, the same goes for mental illness. Although the line between mental health and the “rest” of a person is somewhat blurry, experts say the distinction is necessary. Says Insel : “We need to talk about mental disorders the way we talk about other medical disorders. We generally don’t let having a medical illness define a person’s identity, yet we are very cautious about revealing mental illness because it will somehow define a person’s competence or even suggest dangerousness.” Caddick agrees: “There’s a lot of things that go on in the brain, and just because one thing goes wrong doesn’t mean that everything’s going wrong.”

Separate the person from the problem

Continuing from the last, Insel and Patel both recommend avoiding language that identifies people only by their mental health problems. Says Insel , speak of “someone with schizophrenia,” not “the schizophrenic.” (Although, he points out, people with autism do often ask to be referred to as “autistic.”) Making this distinction clear, says Patel , honors and respects the individual. “What you’re really saying is, this is something that’s not part of a person; it’s something the person is suffering from or is living with, and it’s a different thing from the person.”

Sometimes the problem isn’t that we’re using the wrong words, but that we’re not talking at all

Sometimes it just starts with speaking up. In Solomon’s words: “Wittgenstein said, ‘All I know is what I have words for.’ And I think that if you don’t have the words for it, you can’t explain to somebody else what your need is. To some degree, you can’t even explain to yourself what your need is. And so you can’t get better.” But, as suicide prevention advocate Chris Le knows well, there are challenges to talking about suicide and depression. Organizations aiming to raise awareness about depression and suicide have to wrangle with suicide contagion, or copycat suicides that can be sparked by media attention, especially in young people. Le, though, feels strongly that promoting dialogue ultimately helps. One simple solution, he says, is to keep it personal: “Reach out to your friends. If you’re down, talk to somebody, because remember that one time that your friend was down, and you talked to them, and they felt a little better? So reach out, support people, talk about your emotions and get comfortable with them.”

Recognize the amazing contributions of people with mental health differences

Says autism activist Temple Grandin : “If it weren’t for a little bit of autism, we wouldn’t have any phones to talk on.” She describes the tech community as filled with autistic pioneers. “Einstein definitely was; he had no language until age three. How about Steve Jobs? I’ll only mention the dead ones by name. The live ones, you’ll have to look them up on the Internet.” Of depression, Grandin says: “The organizations involved with depression need to be emphasizing how many really creative people, people whose books we love, whose movies we love, their arts, have had a lot of problems with depression. See, a little bit of those genetics makes you sensitive, makes you emotional, makes you sensitive — and that makes you creative in a certain way.”

Humor helps

Humor, some say, is the best medicine for your brain. Says comedian Wax : “If you surround [your message] with comedy, you have an entrée into their psyche. People love novelty, so for me it’s sort of foreplay: I’m softening them up, and then you can deliver as dark as you want. But if you whine, if you whine about being a woman or being black, good luck. Everybody smells it. But it’s true. People are liberated by laughing at themselves.”

Featured illustration via iStockphoto.

About the author

Thu-Huong Ha is a freelance writer. Previously she was the books and culture reporter for Quartz and the context editor at TED. Her writing has also appeared on Slate and in The New York Times Book Review. Her debut novel, Hail Caesar, was published in 2007 by PUSH, a YA imprint of Scholastic, and was named an NYPL Book for the Teen Age. Follow her at twitter.com/thu

Andrew Solomon
Editor's picks
How should we talk about?
mental health
mental illness
questions worth asking
Sarah Caddick
Temple Grandin
Thomas Insel
Vikram Patel

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Share This: Share Mental Health and the Importance of the Conversation. on Facebook Share Mental Health and the Importance of the Conversation. on LinkedIn Share Mental Health and the Importance of the Conversation. on X

Why the emphasis on mental health? Mental health is a major concern for people all around the world, and the appalling statistics on mental health in the United States alone demonstrate this. Nearly one in five persons are estimated to suffer from mental health issues, which accounts for nearly 52 million people. Mental health issues are often stigmatized, which can make it difficult for people to get the help they need. In light of this, recognizing the significance of strong mental health activities is absolutely critical.

It is critical to recognize that mental health does not just refer to the presence or absence of a mental disorder. Understanding the critical nature of mental health treatment is critical, and now more than ever, it must be a priority. When we nourish it, nearly every facet of life can improve. Its significance has ramifications for our entire well-being, how we experience life, work, and even how we interact with those around us.

While there are several reasons to care about mental health, it is important to understand that mental health is not solely a debate about people who suffer from mental health illnesses. Lack of attention to it has a detrimental effect on every element of our physical, emotional, social, and psychological health. Its upkeep is critical for promoting positive habits and general well-being.

Investing in one’s mental health can boost productivity, improve one’s self-esteem, and help improve relationships. It does not end there; fostering it can also assist us in controlling or at the very least combat some of the physical health issues that are said to be associated with mental health concerns.

A variety of circumstances can influence or negatively impact one’s mental stability. Some of this includes;

Loss of employment
Discrimination
Experience of traumatic events
Severe/accumulated stress
Inability to care for basic needs
Physical conditions
Dysfunctional life – breakup/divorce, among others.

Mental health conditions manifest itself in a variety of ways, including;

Eating disorders
Excessive anger/hostility
Inability to concentrate
Withdrawal from friends and activities that normally interest you
Panic disorder
Change in sexual drive
Bipolar disorder
Inability to deal with daily issues
Suicidal thoughts
Feeling isolated
Post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.

It is critical to underline that everyone’s mental health path is unique. While determining whether to seek professional help for mental health difficulties is not always straightforward, if you observe any of the indicators above or are feeling sick in general, please contact local professional resources.

If you need a speak to someone, reach out to Johns Hopkins Student Assistance Program (JHSAP)

The Importance Of Mental Health

Mental health is important. It impacts how we feel, think, and behave each day. Our mental health also contributes to our decision making, problem solving, how we deal with stress, and how we can relate to others in our lives. That's why, we have to always care about our own mental health. It's for the sake of our social well-being. Our mental health plays an important part on a daily basis, promoting productivity in activities like work, school, etc. If you adapt easily to new environments, then it means both your mental and emotional are healthy.

Have you ever felt down or sad? I bet you all have. And that's normal because it means you have feelings. Let me tell you something. It's ok to feel sad, down, or even upset. But, don't let those feelings inhibit your ability to grow and live. We have to look forward, always. Sometimes, looking back to the past is pretty good for learning something from it but you have to remember that life keeps moving. We can't just live in the circle of past. Our future depends on us.

I can relate to everyone who feels that they're like losers or useless. To be real honest, I've felt it too. It sucks. I had to deal with that situation for months. But then, I started thinking how I could think like this? I realized that I shouldn't have thought this way. I have life and I'm not useless. I can be anything I want. Ever since then, I promised to myself that I will change the way I think.

So guys, here are some ways that you could try to look after your mental health :

1. Feel free to talk and share your feelings. Sharing what you feel can help you to stay in good mental health when you feel troubled. It also can be a good way to cope with a problem that you've been carrying around your head all this time.

2. Keep In Touch. Catching up with someone you know well can help you maintain good mental health. You will not feel like you're all alone in dealing with all the problems that you have. But, if you feel that keeping in touch with some people can ruin your mental health well-being, it may be better for you to take a break from them.

3. Stay positive. Focus on the good things in your life. Don't blame yourself if you make a mistake. Mistakes are also the part of our lives. We can't live without making mistakes.

Actually, there's so much you can do in order to keep your mental health healthy. All you have to do is just ask yourself : "are you happy?" . If your answer is yes , then ok. If your answer is no , then take a look who you are surrounding yourself with. Maybe the people around you could be the factor of why are you unhappy because they might always underestimate you or call you names that you don't want to be called. So, I think that's what I can say. I hope our mental state will always be healthy ♥️. If you have problems, just remember that you're not alone.

View the discussion thread.

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Words matter: language can reduce mental health and addiction stigma, NIH leaders say

In a perspective published in Neuropsychopharmacology , leaders from the National Institutes of Health address how using appropriate language to describe mental illness and addiction can help to reduce stigma and improve how people with these conditions are treated in health care settings and throughout society. The authors define stigma as negative attitudes toward people that are based on certain distinguishing characteristics. More than a decade of research has shown that stigma contributes significantly to negative health outcomes and can pose a barrier to seeking treatment for mental illness or substance use disorders.

Thirty five percent of people with serious mental illness in the U.S., and nearly 90% of people with substance use disorders, do not receive treatment. The perspective authors point to evidence that stigma-related bias among clinicians can contribute to a treatment-averse mindset and to flawed clinical care, including failure to implement proven methods of treatment. Further, when a person with a mental illness or substance use disorder continues to experience stigma, they may begin to internalize it. This “self-stigma” can lead to lower self-esteem and feelings of self-worth and can become an ongoing source of distress that may exacerbate symptoms and create barriers to successful treatment.

Conversely, efforts to reduce stigma may reduce the psychological burden it places on individuals and can be an important component of removing barriers to care. The authors highlight numerous studies showing that using scientifically accurate language and terms that centralize the experience of patients with mental illness and substance use disorders is one key component to reducing stigma. They argue that a shift in language is crucial for mobilizing resources toward mental health and addiction services and eroding the prejudices that keep people who need those services from seeking or receiving them. Though stigma is difficult to eliminate, they contend that changing the language we use to describe these conditions can make a significant and immediate difference for the people experiencing them.

ND Volkow, JA Gordon, and GF Koob. Choosing Appropriate Language to Reduce the Stigma Around Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders . Neuropsychopharmacology. DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01069-4 (2021).

Nora D. Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
George F. Koob, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

About the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): NIDA is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports most of the world’s research on the health aspects of drug use and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to inform policy, improve practice, and advance addiction science. For more information about NIDA and its programs, visit www.nida.nih.gov .

About the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), part of the National Institutes of Health, is the primary U.S. agency for conducting and supporting research on the causes, consequences, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol use disorder. NIAAA also disseminates research findings to general, professional, and academic audiences. Additional alcohol research information and publications are available at www.niaaa.nih.gov .

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov .

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Wil Wheaton Gives Powerful Speech about Mental Health Struggles, Inspires Us with Both His Strength and Vulnerability

Trigger warning: this article addresses depression, self-harm and suicide.

He’s appeared on The Big Bang Theory , starred on Star Trek: The Next Generation and received countless awards for his work. But despite appearances, Wil Wheaton's life has been a struggle for most of his 45 years.

Wheaton, who battles chronic depression and anxiety, is a staunch mental health advocate -- and he just delivered one of the most powerful speeches on the topic at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) conference in Ohio.

Mental illness can start in childhood

Addressing the crowd, the actor opened up about the heart-wrenching suffering he went through for decades, fueled by adults’ lack of understanding and a refusal to admit that since before he was 10 he had mental health issues.

“Night after night, I’d wake up in absolute terror, and night after night, I’d drag my blankets off my bed, to go to sleep on the floor in my sister’s bedroom, because I was so afraid to be alone,” he shared at the conference and on Medium .

There is nothing noble in suffering, and there is nothing shameful or weak in asking for help.

The nightly panic attacks evolved into generalized anxiety by the time Wheaton hit his teens, and even tough he realized he suffered from depression in his 20s, he did not seek help.

He was still afraid that the medication he knew he needed would change his personality. And he was ashamed. He felt weak for being depressed. He was afraid he would disappoint and hurt his loved ones.

One of the primary reasons I speak out about my mental illness, is so that I can make the difference in someone’s life that I wish had been made in mine when I was young.

It can mean not living, just existing

The fame that came in Wheaton's teens from starring in Stand by Me only made things worse. Industry professionals belittled and berated him for his suffering, so he continued to hide it.

“I struggled to reconcile the facts of my life with the reality of my existence. […] I didn’t know to ask for help.” And until he did, he didn’t live – he just existed. His mental illness often prevented him from enjoying even the smallest, most natural aspects of life most enjoy without a second thought: going out to see a movie, grab dinner, enjoying a vacation.

I realized I had lived my life in a room that was so loud, all I could do every day was deal with how loud it was.

Wheaton credits his wife for finally seeking professional help, a decision that changed his life from just existing and hurting to actually living and being happy.

See on Instagram

“Thank God that my wife saw that I was hurting, and thank God she didn’t believe the lie that depression is weakness, or something to be ashamed of,” Wheaton told his Ohio audience. “Thank God for Anne, because […] I don’t know how much longer I would have been able to even exist, to say nothing of truly living,” he added.

That’s the thing about depression: we can’t force it to go away. If I could just “stop feeling sad” I WOULD.

Professional help can save your life

The life-changing experience of seeking professional help encouraged Wheaton to make sure as many people – including children – get the help they need when struggling with mental health issues.

Whether it’s by talking to those who reach out to him online, or supporting organizations as NAMI, the Big Bang Theory star has committed himself to removing the stigma of mental health from public discourse and people’s hearts – especially from the hearts of sufferers still afraid and ashamed to ask for help.

He wants to remind everyone that it can get better.

Give yourself permission to acknowledge that you’re feeling terrible (or bad, or whatever it is you are feeling), and the do a little thing, just one little thing, that you probably don’t feel like doing, and I PROMISE you it will help.

Wheaton also took time to emphasize the importance of self-care in recovery. And not (just) the glamorous self-care ubiquitous on Instagram with shopping sprees and expensive spa sessions, but habits like healthy eating , regular exercise or playing with a dog.

He also spoke about the life-saving work non-governmental organizations do, and the importance of top-down reform that starts with elected officials as well as the power voters have to demand change.

We can remember, and we can remind each other, that there is no finish line when it comes to mental illness. It’s a journey, and sometimes we can see the path we’re on all the way to the horizon, while other times we can’t even see five feet in front of us because the fog is so thick. But the oath is always there, and if we can’t locate it on our own, we have loved ones and doctors and medication to help us find it again, as long as we don’t give up trying to see it.

Read the speech in its entirety here. For tips on how to start a conversation about mental health, read Lady Gaga’s mom’s advice on getting the mental health conversation rolling.

Editor’s Note: Struggling and feeling hopeless? You are not alone. Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

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Man Still Sends Ex-Wife Anniversary Cards Years After Split

When a couple divorces, it’s because they can no longer be together romantically. But that doesn’t mean that love can’t still exist between two former partners, which this man has proved for the past 22 years.

An Amicable Goodbye

Melvin Tavares and Mary Widman divorced in 2002, yet according to their daughter, Jodylynn Tavares, her father sends her mother an anniversary card or a text message every single year.

“There was only one year that he forgot, and my mom was kind of disappointed about it,” Jodylynn told People .

The 24-year-old was three when her parents divorced, but she has fond memories of how they co-parented her and her sister. That includes her dad sending her mom sentimental messages and cards, which could be considered a marker of the past and what their marriage represented.

“My dad always picks cartoon and funny cards. He isn’t a mushy card buyer. My dad usually writes, ‘Happy Anniversary Wifie, love Mel,’” Jodylynn continued.

“I think it shows that he still loves my mom, but not romantically. They both are living different lives; he does it out of respect. He still refers to her as his ‘wifie.’ My dad doesn’t mean any harm or have bad intentions; he is just a sentimental, mushy kind of guy.”

A Positive Upbringing

@jodylynntavares not the $1 bill

This year, Jodylynn marked the anniversary by sharing her parents’ story on TikTok. The video she shared, which included her mom receiving a card and a $1 bill, went viral. That’s likely because the heartwarming story is a positive example of co-parenting and being there for your kids, even when you can no longer be together.

To People , Jodylynn added that she and her sister lived with their mom in Hawaii for most of their childhood but spent summers with their dad.

“My mom was good and never talked bad about my dad,” she continued. “She always said that just because she couldn’t be married to him didn’t mean that he wasn’t still our dad. My parents were always on their best behavior when together for graduations, my sister’s wedding, and now they have grandkids together.”

Jodylynn also revealed that her mom has probably thrown away most of the cards she’s received, but she still has the one from the viral video.

“Married at one time but will always be connected to each other. My parents still love each other, but not romantically,” Jodylynn added.

Embracing the Love

When you’re hurt or disappointed to no longer have the life you once envisioned for yourself, it can be hard to forgive and move on with love in your heart. That’s especially true if someone who was supposed to be your life partner hurt you or acted unforgivably. However, there are circumstances where a positive post-divorce relationship can exist, and this story is one of them.

If you’re able to, working through the pain and remembering the love that brought you together in the first place — for the sake of kids or even for yourself — is essential to healing and growing. Making room for forgiveness and love can be powerful, and it can create surprising long-term bonds.

At the very least, it can help you get back to you after a period of loss and grieving. As with anything in life, letting go of what you thought was supposed to happen and making the best of the reality of a situation will open the door to happiness and success.

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Starbucks Barista Sobs After Receiving Note From a Stranger

Courtney Crawford, 32, likes to serve up more than just coffee to her early-morning customers at Starbucks.

A self-professed "morning person," the part-time Starbucks barista (who starts her day at the ungodly hour of 4 a.m.) goes out of her way to try to brighten people's days.

So, when a woman walked in who appeared to be struggling, Courtney kicked her pep into high gear. It worked.

As far as Courtney was concerned, she didn't do anything special. But to the woman? It meant everything.

Starbucks Barista Makes a Stranger's Day

Starbucks barista, Courtney Crawford, shares heartwarming story of a stranger's act of kindness

TikTok/@dopaqueen715

In a now-viral TikTok that'll have you crying in your coffee, Courtney shares her encounter with the woman and asks her followers for help finding her.

"This morning I was loud and proud and peppy and a woman came in and I could tell she was kinda struggling," Courtney begins.

Challenge Accepted.

Courtney immediately put a "little pep in her step" and got the woman smiling. By the time she left, she was noticeably happier. Two minutes later, the customer returned...with a note. She gave it to the manager to pass on to Courtney.

In the note the “groggy woman at 5 a.m" explained that she travels a lot for work, clocking long hours.

"I’ve been here for two days and so far you have been the only person I have encountered that has been genuinely kind. You were the first face I saw this morning and you really brightened my day,” she wrote.

"I am sure you are exhausted because, life, right? That’s all of us. But you deserve to know you made a difference in someone’s day today just by being kind.”

The woman went on to write that she was "willing to bet" that Courtney has a great sense of humor and that she hoped she had the "very best" day, adding, "I know I will thanks to you."

In addition to the note, the customer also gave Courtney $200, telling her to treat herself "to something nice." "Maybe just not coffee," she quipped.

It's at this point in the video that Courtney gets emotional and takes us all on a ride.

(Fair warning: You might wanna grab the Kleenex.)

An Unexpected Twist

@dopaqueen715 Tik tok! Help me get this message to her! #mysterykindness #goodsamaritan

What the woman couldn't have known is that this is Courtney's first Mother's Day without her mom. Heartbreakingly, she passed away last June.

Holding back tears, Courtney shares that she's holding down a full-time job on top of her part-time one at Starbucks just to try to make ends meet. She didn't know how she was going to swing it financially but she had been planning on buying an urn for her mom to bring her home for Mother’s Day.

"I would be lying to you if I told you that I was not dreading Mother's Day. And so, I decided that I was going to buy the urn that I had been looking at and bring my mom home for Mother's Day and I had no idea how I was going to afford it."

But now, thanks to the stranger's generous tip, her mama is coming home.

Courtney ends the video with a heartfelt thank you.

"That $200 you put in that note today allows me to spend Mother's Day with my mom and I appreciate you so much. So if you're out there and you're on TikTok, thank you for the impact you that you made on my life, and I hope that you see this and know that you did something that I will never forget."

She's not the only one hoping the woman will see it. So are the 3.5 MILLION viewers (and counting!) who are now invested in how this story turns out.

The video has everyone up in their feelings (because it's just THAT GOOD dang it) and if anyone can find her, TikTok can. Unless, of course, this commenter is right...

"She’s not out there honey. She is an angel that your mom sent. this is the most beautiful story. I know how important it is for you to bring her home."

TikTok Video Sparks a Deluge of Kindness

@dopaqueen715 #greenscreen update on 5 AM groggy Starbucks woman and thank you to @Dawn for your generosity and kind heart #mysterykindness #5amgroggystarbuckswoman

In a follow-up video , Courtney shares that she has yet to find the generous woman at Starbucks to thank her for her kindness, though she has received messages with potential leads. So, for now, the search continues.

Courtney also shares that her original video sparked a deluge of kindness. A woman named Dawn tracked her down and matched the monetary gift, ensuring that Courtney's mom is coming home in style.

Additionally, multiple people have messaged her asking how they can help.

Courtney just hopes that if people "feel the need to be kind" they'll pay it forward.

"We are all going through something. We are all hurting and healing from something so it's so important to be kind to each other." - Courtney Crawford

Kindness is powerful and simply being kind to someone makes more of an impact than we often realize. Sometimes, it's even life-changing.

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current events conversation

What Students Are Saying About Teen Mental Health, Moderating Speech and Special Talents

Teenage comments in response to our recent writing prompts, and an invitation to join the ongoing conversation.

By The Learning Network

This week The Learning Network responded to a special Times report called “ The Inner Pandemic ” about an alarming increase in mental health risks for teenagers. As part of a larger collection of resources , we asked young people, Is Teen Mental Health in a State of Crisis? With almost no exceptions, the 150-plus who responded agreed that “it’s the worst it’s ever been.” You can read more of what they had to say below.

After that, you’ll find two comments from two additional forums — one asking about moderating speech on social media platforms, and a lighter one asking what kind of competition — no matter how ridiculous — they might be able to win.

Thank you to all those who joined the conversation this week from around the world, including teenagers from South Burlington, Vt. ; Cambridge-Isanti High School in Cambridge, Minn. ; and Bangkok, Thailand.

Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.

Is Teen Mental Health in a State of Crisis?

In a special report called “ The Inner Pandemic ,” Matt Richtel reported on an alarming increase in anxiety, depression, suicide, self-harm and other kinds of mental illness among teenagers. He also offered ideas from experts to help adults support young people’s mental health .

When we asked students to share their thoughts, they pointed to a variety of external stressors they believe are contributing to the decline, including the coronavirus pandemic, social media use, increased academic pressure and workloads, and looming economic, social, political and environmental crises.

Please note: Because of the sensitive nature of this topic, we have taken the additional step of removing most of the identifying information.

“Teen Mental Health Is in Crisis, And It’s Not Hard to See Why.”

Teen mental health is in a crisis, and it’s not hard to see why. We are forced to be exposed to all of the horrible things in the world, and none of us know how to cope with it. We are watching our society break apart at the seams, we are learning the atrocities of things we used to find comfort in. We are thrust into a world where we have to grow such a thick skin so fast. And when we cope with it in unhealthy ways we are guilt tripped and told we are faking it for attention. Even if someone does something “for attention” they definitely are in danger.

My personal journey about mental health has been a long one. I’ve been in and out of therapy since a very young age and I’m pretty heavily medicated for depression/anxiety. I live with the guilt of what I did to myself, what I put my parents through. I was only 11/12. I had thoughts I didn’t know how to process, urges to do things I really shouldn’t have done. I hated everyone, and especially myself. I missed out on my childhood due to extreme anxiety, and I’ll never get it back. I feel like something is missing, even now. I’m nearly three years clean now, and I’m doing a lot better. I’m on meds, in stable therapy, and I have a really good support system. But recovery is not linear. Days, weeks, months, years of progress aren’t erased when you have an episode or relapse. I am so happy I am alive today, but I do have episodes where I am not. That does not erase my progress. To everyone in these comments, I’m proud of you. <3

Almost all of my peers have some form of mental health disorder, they just aren’t being treated for it. Saying this to someone from older generations may cause snarky comments like “your generation is just too sensitive,” but that only strengthens my idea that older generations struggled just as much with mental health, but weren’t given any help. Even now mental health can be considered a taboo, but compared to the 19th century it’s not nearly as severe. I assume the reason it seems like mental health is only a recent problem is because people in the past feared being locked up in asylums for seeking help. I believe that the solution to our current “crisis” is to continue being loud about mental health advocacy to destigmatize it.

“I Think Social Media Does Play a Big Role …”

If I’m being honest, I didn’t think I would live to turn sixteen. Since I was little I was always anxious, slept in my parent’s bed while it was thundering, cried because I was too scared to go to school, and missed out on birthday parties and such due to my anxious nature. As I started to grow older depression came along too. The last two years were the worst of my life. I became [part of] the eighty-eight percent [rise in] teens in the hospital due to self-harm, I allowed myself to go on so long feeling the way I did like life isn’t for me for too long. I hid it from my family members along with my raging eating disorder, which was a major contribution to my negative mental health…Looking back on it I wish I would’ve done something, said something, but the truth is I found comfort in how horrible I felt. Social media was also a contributing factor to how bad my mental health was, and how many others feel, there’s no doubt about it. The social media platform, Tiktok is a nasty place sometimes. I personally used it as therapy instead of going through the “struggles” of telling someone real. It would show me videos about pro-anorexia, depression, and suicidal ideation. It made me feel as if I was less alone when in reality it was more damaging than I would know…

Applications like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat all are platforms that will create an online environment that is best fitted to the user. Sometimes when we are in a sad mood, maybe we want to scroll through TikTok or Instagram but what users aren’t aware of is that they will custom create an algorithm for their desires. If they decide to listen to sad music, more sad music will be advertised to them and then it becomes an endless cycle. Social media also has been infamous for highlighting people with the ideal body types and this can be very hard for youth that are going through body changes in their teen years. For me personally, I only scroll on social media when I feel in a sad mood and, spoiler alert, it never helps me feel better. Social media has served our society a lot of good but we need to be aware of some of the hidden consequences of having access to the whole world at the click of a button.

We’ve been in a pandemic for 2 years now, and I feel that social media is the most important factor revolving around teens’ mental health. Endless scrolling through videos, not leaving the house, and comparing themselves to fake images decreases their mental health and self-esteem. It could also lead to exhaustion, since many, like myself, tend to scroll through posts and watch videos from the evening into the early hours of the morning.

“The Pandemic Has Made a Great Change in Mental Health.”

I’ve seen many different teens in my school, in stores or just in public who seem to be struggling with mental illness. Signs that I’ve seen are, sitting alone, never smiling, always looking depressed by their body language and facial language and their actions. Personally, I think that the pandemic has made a great change in teens mental health. There isn’t much to do anymore and it’s a lot harder to socialize. Teens and kids need socialization in their life or they’ll become more sad and they wont know how to talk to people. I think teens now a days are more scared to reach out and get help, therefore they live with this struggle on a daily basis and nobody may ever know.

Many of my friends went into deep depression during the pandemic, a few of which nearly attempted suicide. I wish I could say I’m surprised by the drastic jump in self harm and suicide rates but I’m not. Kids are always told that they are the future, but little is being done to insure that they are actually there in the future. Mass education on mental health needs to be achieved or I fear the problem will just get worse.

Not only have I struggled with my mental health, but I also have many peers who struggle as well. I think the pandemic is one of the catalysts. Because of the pandemic, we were used to hiding behind screens, and not a lot of social interaction. With schools, we usually had shorter school days, and longer times to complete assignments. The tests were open note and work was always posted online. When we all came back to school in August, it was a complete reality shift from the school-at-home, online life we were used to living. With schooling going back into full swing, pressures got greater and school wasn’t so easy anymore. Social anxiety, comparison to peers, and pressure from school became more prevalent. Society expected us to return to a life that we used to have before the pandemic, but we were not accustomed to it.

This year is many students’ first full year back from quarantine, and for some, it is their first year of high school or their senior year. These times in our lives would be very stressful under normal circumstances, but what we are experiencing now, all these things just pile on to the pile of stress that we experience as teenagers who are still finding themselves. If I’m being honest I have not found a way to cope with anxiety, stress, depression, or any other challenges I face. When I experience these things I’m at a loss for what to do, so then it just gets bottled up and who knows what will happen when I can’t hold it in anymore and snap.

“ I Use Many Techniques to Improve My Mental Health .”

I often find myself stressed or anxious about a variety of different things, and I am yet to find a perfect solution to ease the stress. While the internet can provide intricate ideas and activities to help ease your mental health, I tend to stray toward the more simple things. Sometimes getting out of my room and going outside for even just 5 minutes or grabbing a healthy and fulfilling snack is beneficial to my mental health. Often time talking through worries with a trusted adult or friend helps to look at the big picture, and most of the time I realize that what I am worried about is not as big or important as I made it out to be. Overall, I use many techniques to improve my mental health, including getting fresh air and a snack or talking with someone I trust.

[W]hen I get stressed in school I like to take a few slow breaths. I also would close my eyes and think about something I like. When I get anxiety it takes a little more to get over it. I personally like to do the 5-4-3-2-1-coping method. It’s basically acknowledging things in the room that you can touch, see, hear, smell, and feel. It’s so I can ground myself and feel better about the environment I’m in. when I’m home the thing I do the most is listening to music. Music is so important to me. It lets me go into this whole different world and stop thinking about reality. Sometimes I lay down and listen to music. Or I need to move and I play music that I can dance and jump to.

When I am stressed or anxious, I will just do whatever is stressing me out. Like if I have an essay due, I’ll just do the essay. But if it’s something like a job interview. I will just make sure I’m as prepared as I can be. Sometimes when I’m about to go to sleep I just become anxious for absolutely no reason. When that happens I will listen to a guided meditation, or just think about something else. To keep my mental health good, I like to wake up early in the morning and go for walks at 4am. It is actually quite relaxing. I also like to keep a clean room, and keep all my work done.

How Much Should Speech Be Moderated on Social Media?

Last month, Elon Musk struck a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. While his exact plans for the platform remain unclear, he has repeatedly said he wants to “transform” it by promoting more free speech.

We asked students to share their thoughts on Twitter’s new ownership. They weighed in on whether speech on social media should be moderated, how much it should be restricted and who should get to make the rules.

Less Moderation Means More Freedom of Speech.

I am a big proponent of freedom of speech. No one’s voice should ever be silenced for any reason with the singular exception of it is threatening someone else. Physical Threats are the only reason that someone shouldn’t be allowed to speak their mind. Elon buying Twitter is the first of many steps toward reopening freedom of speech and moving past our weak minded cancel culture. I hope other social media platforms take steps towards protecting freedom of speech. Our country is built on the concepts of freedom and democracy and we must protect those values at all costs. People have died for those values, but now we seem to be putting people’s feelings ahead of them and that should be frowned upon. Its time to bring people’s voices back and protect our rights.

— Bobby, Hinsdale Central

I think that, for the most part, people should be allowed to say what they want on the internet. Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty of times I see people saying things I hate or don’t agree with, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to express themselves, and oftentimes people can learn a lot through doing so. I’m sure plenty of people disagree with things that I say or do, but that won’t stop me from supporting what I believe in and enjoying the things I do. As long as what they’re saying isn’t actively hurting anybody, why prevent someone from sharing their thoughts on whatever it is they wanna say. Ultimately, if someone is actually being harmful and making people feel unsafe or uncomfortable, block, mute, and report buttons are there for a reason and I’ve had my fair share of using them for a variety of reasons.

— Gretchen, Glenbard West High School

Twitter Is Already a Hostile Place.

As someone who frequently uses Twitter, I can’t say I agree with the idea that Twitter heavily censors people on their platform. On the contrary, they hardly delete things that could be considered hate speech or defamation. One scroll through Twitter and you’ll see some form of hate speech, whether it be towards a minority group or a well-known politician. With even less moderation than they currently have, I worry that Twitter will become an even more hostile place than it currently is. Social media should be a place where others can share their thoughts and opinions freely, but also protect users from threatening language. With the switch in ownership, I hope that all parties involved will take the matter at hand diligently and make decisions that benefit the greater good.

— Savannah, Cambridge-Isanti High School, Minnesota

Though Musk’s plan for Twitter is good in theory, what does free speech mean in an era of homophobia, xenophobia, racism, violence, and mistreatment of women?

The idea of completely free speech is something I don’t believe we could ever achieve on Media platforms without some sort of filtering. As a frequent Twitter user myself, I tend to scroll through the app looking at celebrity news, memes, and the occasional cat pictures. Though I am not looking for it, disturbing things such as topics of, rape, hate crimes, and even nudity, still somehow make it to my screen. While these are still real-life things that others and myself should be aware of, the fact that just anyone has access to this stuff upsets me.

— Bea, BLK 1 Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

With Elon’s purchase of Twitter and his vow to reduce content moderation, there are great consequences if handled inanely. The situation in Twitter is already quite poor, I hope Elon should disregard his hubris and focus on revamping the algorithm, which just feeds the same content to the viewer, thus creating the conjecture that they are correct and creating political extremists. Twitter should be a serene online vessel to discuss and share thoughts, not a belligerent battlefield full with callous and hurtful remarks.

— Peem, Bangkok, Thailand

Restrictions Help Keep People Safe.

This advancement of twitter Mr. Musk plans on taking can threaten the future of social media. The restrictions on Twitter are in place to help prevent the spread of harassment, political lies, pornography, etc., to protect its users and punish those who violate those guidelines. For example, in 2020 when Donald Trump’s Twitter account got suspended for life due to his political harassment and the motivation of raiding the capitol he posted on his account. His motivation of violence through his social media account on Twitter was the reason for his suspension, not the reaction of free speech. Though his account suspension outraged many of his supporters it did not take away the value to express political values and individuals views on Twitter.

— Mary Beth, Bryant High School AR

Speech should be moderated on all platforms because of the dangers from misinformation and hate that can be spread instantly around the world in one press of a button. Although free speech is democratic, hate speech, nudity, and dangerous misinformation are threats that should not be categorized as free speech. Users should be able to post what they want, but when it negatively affects other consumers it is no longer a freedom issue, but a public safety issue. In our society we have experienced many instances where the dangers of social media have spread almost instantly such as the tide pod challenge that left many adolescents hospitalized around the world. Not only is non restricted media a safety issue, but it also lowers the value of these sites. If these programs become flooded with spam and posts that repel consumers these sites will surely be replaced by improved sites that protect and make the customer’s experience more enjoyable.

— Noelle, Norfolk, VA

Although I believe Social Media should be a place for freedom of expression and know all too well what it feels like to be censored, the freedoms that users would have to abuse and infringe upon the rights and morale of others are far too great. Without moderation and law present, cybercriminals would undoubtedly flood social media with hate speech, spam, child exploitation, and more heinous illegalities that would disrupt the flow and rights that human beings have to the information on the internet.

— Zachariah, Pittsburgh

I think that speech should be moderated on social media. For example if people are spreading misinformation, harassing, explicit material (pornographic content), or spamming. The whole point of having little to no moderation is because we have the right to freedom of speech, but I think there should be restrictions when our right to freedom of speech is hurting someone. It’s not that being able to freely express ourselves is bad, rather when people are online, they are compelled to say whatever they want. And often, “whatever they want” is harassing others which is not okay.

— Sarah, Hinsdale Central High School

Should Billionaires Get to Make The Rules for Social Media?

The ability of billionaires like Mark Zuckerberg and Mr. Musk owning large social media platforms makes me uneasy…I believe that once Mr. Musk acquires Twitter, there will be hysteria on whether or not it will become negatively dominated by one political party. From this, I believe other forms of specialized politically affiliated social media outlets will be created in order to counterbalance Mr. Musk. I think the outcome of this will be similar to how there are certain news stations that are labeled as “fake news” and American people will have to be very cautious on where they learn information.

— Courtney, South Burlington

With the recent purchase of twitter by Mr. Musk, I do not believe that any good can come out of it. As stated in the article, “ We may not want these digital media barons to have so much power, but the reality is that they do.” Elon Musk is no different than this. While he wants to protect free speech, he leaves the opportunity for a breeding ground of hate…Honestly, the real reason I believe Elon Musk decided to purchase twitter was because of the rise in NFT hype and, contradicting his statement about free speech, he wants more control. If he is able to own one of the largest social media companies in the world, then he is going to be able to influence both politicians and the common man alike. When you own the means of communication amongst people, you essentially control the world, that’s all I’m saying.

What Competition Do You Think You Could Win?

A recent Times article reported on competitive typists , who have, in recent years, found an online community and plenty of opportunities to test themselves against the best of the best.

So we wanted to know what students considered their talents — small or large, serious or silly — that they think might win them first place in a competition, even if there is no such contest right now. Their answers were a delight.

My Specialty Is Food-Related.

I would fail miserably at a typing competition, but I think I could win in a cheese guessing competition where I would be blindfolded and have to guess the cheese I tasted. I am obsessed with cheese and knowing that around 90% of Chinese adults suffer from lactose intolerance, I need to enjoy it while I can. For any holiday, occasion, or just a snack, my family likes to make charcuterie boards with a variety of different cheeses. With my experience of having so many kinds of cheeses, I feel like I would have a good chance at winning a competition in this field.

— Grace, Block 2, Hoggard Highschool in Wilmington, NC

If I were to excel in a competition, I would say that I would excel in a food eating competition. Now I’m not saying I would beat Joey Chestnut in Nathan’s hotdog eating competition but I am saying that I could win at a local food competition. I would definitely say that I’m good at eating, I mean, I have been doing it all my life. I also eat fast and can eat a large amount of food which would help me.

— Stephen, NY

The Arts Are Where I Excel.

I’m also weirdly good at telling colors apart. If you give me a ton of different shades, no matter how close they are, I can order them from light to dark. There’s this game called color match where you get an array of shades and have to organize them in the fewest moves possible. I’ve halved the average a couple of times, so I think I’d do pretty well in a contest.

— Ismini, Atlanta, GA

I am very creative with my vocabulary. I have found poetry or even just English papers to be places I excel in. I believe there are poetry writing competitions, and if I ever joined, I’m sure I could place quite highly given an appropriate topic.

— Ryan, Baldwinsville

Although I’m not very good at typing, one thing that is hands on that I feel like I’m really good at is weaving. Any type of weaving you can think of, like basket weaving or weaving yarn or bracelets. I classify myself as a pro. You put me in a competition with the world’s best weavers and I would come in first. What made me realize this is that one day in class we were making a “God’s eye” that brings you protection and good fortune. Seeing that pattern and the rhythm is all it is when it comes to weaving. I just kept making them each time going faster and faster. That’s one of my uncommon skills and although it’s not as useful as typing I would still say I’m pretty good at it.

— Maya, Block 1, Hoggard High School Wilmington, NC

My Talent Is Hard to Quantify.

Since typing isn’t my specialty, I do have some very odd talents. For example I have double jointed shoulder blades (aka my “angel wings” or my “chicken wings” which tend to freak people out), I can touch my tongue to my nose, etc. I would be quite surprised if there was a competition for one of those but never impossible. A lot of people I know typically cannot do these things unless they were born with the right genes or the extra muscle in their back. So when I “perform”, it leaves people with goosebumps.

Sad to say, I have only met a few select people in my life who can do these things as well as myself but I have lost contact with them. If there was a competition for having the longest or fastest shoulder blades, I know for a fact they would participate if they heard about it. For these typists, their community is small, just like my own.

— EG, Block 4, Hoggard High School in Wilmington NC

I guess I am pretty good at voice impressions? I don’t really know. I have good voice control and I can make my voice very different pitches and stuff. I think the closest thing to a talent I have is being able to do Bart Simpson’s voice.

— Etta, Block 1, Hoggard High School in Wilmington, NC

I don’t have any talents, but I do make really loud burps. I think I could win a burping competition, but it isn’t really a talent. I burp often, at home and at school. I am not sure if it counts as a hidden talent, but people definitely pointed it out before. It is a bit embarrassing, but I guess it is a “special” talent.

— Christian, J.R. Masterman in Philadelphia, PA

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Page title It’s Okay to Not Be Okay: Tips and Resources for Mental Health Awareness Month

It’s May, so just checking in… “How is everybody doing?”

In case you missed it, Sesame Street’s lovable Elmo posed that very question on social media earlier this year – and the responses came flooding in. From relationship problems to financial troubles, and feelings of exhaustion, angst, loneliness, and disconnection, people shared their struggles. At last count, Elmo’s post had garnered more than 217 million views, 15,000 reposts, 165,000 likes, and 45,000 responses on one social media platform alone. What this helps reveal is that many of us are NOT okay – and it’s important to acknowledge and address that, and make sure people know that help is available. SAMHSA has several supports and resources that can help.

Mental Health Conditions Can Affect Anyone

May is Mental Health Awareness Month , a good reminder to focus on the importance of mental health and its impact on our well-being. Mental health conditions can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, or income level. Recent data (PDF | 622 KB) help underscore that our nation is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis among people of all ages and backgrounds, including young children and older adults. To put this into perspective, if you were standing in a room full of people, at least one out of every five of those people likely experienced anxiety, depression, or other mental health conditions in the last year.

The good news is… mental health conditions are treatable. As illustrated by the many athletes, entertainers, and prominent public figures who have spoken openly about their experiences, people living with mental illness can — and do — lead happy and productive lives. And this includes serious mental illnesses , such as bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia, which can interfere with someone’s life and ability to function. Similar to medical conditions like diabetes, with early and consistent treatment, people with serious mental illnesses can manage their conditions, overcome challenges, and enjoy meaningful, productive lives.

At SAMHSA, we are committed to increasing access to mental health services and supports nationwide. We understand that many Americans may feel reluctant to reach out for help or to seek care; we want you to know that we see you, we hear you, and we support you. We believe that with the right care, anyone affected by – or at risk for – a mental health condition can achieve well-being and thrive. And if you take care of yourself, you might also be a support for others -- a lifeline for someone else.

Language Matters When It Comes to Mental Health

The more we talk about mental health together, the more normalized these conversations become – ultimately empowering people to seek the help they need. And fortunately, more people are now talking about and prioritizing their mental health, just as they would their physical health. They are also embracing self-care to improve overall well-being. This is critical because when you take care of your mental health, your physical and emotional health also improves, and you’re more likely to learn and work productively, and effectively cope with life stressors. However, self-care looks different for everyone. Exercise, sleep, and a balanced diet might be the strategy for some, while others might benefit from joining a support group, or seeing a mental health professional. It’s important to identify what works best for you.

Just like you might share tips with friends about maintaining a healthy weight or improving blood pressure, consider taking the opportunity this month to share your experience of how you are caring for your mental health. Help enforce the message that “it’s okay to not be okay,” and encourage people (PDF | 98 KB) to seek help when they need it. And, as you have those conversations, think about the words that you use: language is powerful, and your choice of words can help break down misconceptions, or contribute to them. One of the most impactful ways to communicate about mental health is to use person-first language to put the person before their diagnosis, disability, or other characteristics. For example:

Instead of saying, “John is schizophrenic…or bipolar,” say “John is a person who has schizophrenia…or who has bipolar disorder.”
Instead of describing someone as “suffering from a mental illness,” say “experiencing or living with a mental illness.”

It’s also important to use language that promotes inclusivity and respect. When we use open, compassionate, and equitable language around mental health issues, we empower ourselves and encourage others to find the help they need.

Take Action

SAMHSA will host several “Mental Health Awareness Month” events for partners and grantees throughout May. Details on any virtual events open to the public will be available on our Mental Health Awareness Month webpage .

Mental Health Action Day is May 16, providing an opportunity to take the next step from awareness to action for yourself, a loved one, or your community. This could be as simple as adopting a positive “mental health habit” like eating a balanced diet, getting a good night’s rest, or exercising, or offering support to a friend or family member who is struggling. Here are some additional strategies to consider on Mental Health Action Day.

Practice gratitude: Think about what you’re thankful for – like supportive family and friends, a safe home, or even a beautiful day. Or find something to celebrate, like a recent accomplishment. Consciously practicing gratitude may reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.
Volunteer: Participating in community organizations and finding opportunities to help others can provide a positive boost and sense of purpose.
Engage in random acts of kindness: Buy a cup of coffee for the person in line behind you, hold the door open for a stranger, or make food for a neighbor or colleague. There are many small acts that can brighten someone else’s day.
Practice mindfulness: Take a few minutes to meditate, take a yoga class or do some breathing exercises to promote relaxation and reduce stress.
Seek Help: Whether it is for yourself of someone else, seek help through SAMHSA’s resources. Recovery is possible.

Show Compassion – and Be a Lifeline to Others

In addition to focusing on your own self-care this Mental Health Awareness Month, consider checking in on loved ones.

Parents/Kids: If you are a parent or caregiver, talk to your kids about their mental health. Getting help during the early stages of mental illness, or at the first signs of mild behavioral health symptoms, can help those symptoms from developing into more serious conditions.
Older Adults: If you know an older adult who may be experiencing bereavement, illness, or isolation, watch for clues and ask how they are doing during visits. CDC data shows that suicide rates are on the rise, especially among adults ages 65 and older – so it’s critical to recognize the warning signs so we can offer help.
New Mothers: If you know someone who is pregnant or recently gave birth, check to see how they’re feeling. About 1 in 8 women report symptoms of postpartum depression in the year after giving birth – so it’s quite common and nobody should feel embarrassed or hesitant to reach out for help. But if left untreated, maternal mental health issues can lead to devastating consequences, including pregnancy-related deaths, such as suicides, drug overdoses and other unintentional injuries.

These are just a few examples of how you can serve as a lifeline to others this month and beyond. Simply listening, and providing support, can make a significant – and even lifesaving – difference to someone living with mental illness.

To quote Elmo’s heart-felt follow-up post , “Elmo is glad he asked! Elmo learned that it is important to ask a friend how they are doing.” Consider heeding that advice. By encouraging others to seek or access help, or simply by being there for someone when they need us, we instill hope in ourselves and those around us.

SAMHSA Resources

SAMHSA’s 2024 Mental Health Awareness Month resources, including a digital toolkit , can be found on the Mental Health Awareness Month webpage . To learn how to get support for mental health conditions, visit FindSupport.gov . If you’re looking for treatment services in your community, visit FindTreatment.gov . If you or someone you know is in in crisis, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Additional SAMHSA Wellness and Recovery Resources

Recovery and Recovery Support
Resources for Older Adults
Parent and Caregiver Resources
School and Campus Health
Resources for Families Coping with Mental and Substance Use Disorders

The Connection Between Self-Care and Mental Health

Taking care of oneself supports mental health and fitness..

Posted February 22, 2023 | Reviewed by Davia Sills

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Self-care is linked to improved mental health, self-esteem, self-worth, and optimism.
Self-care involves valuing ourselves enough to make our health, well-being, and happiness a priority.
We often don't take enough care of ourselves, which can have long-term effects on well-being.

Self-care may seem like nothing more than the latest buzzword or passing trend, but in reality, it is a commitment to ourselves—a promise to factor ourselves into the equation of our lives. When we optimize self-care, we feel better, look better, and have more energy. And quality self-care is linked to improved mental health, with benefits like enhanced self-esteem and self-worth, increased optimism , a positive outlook on life, and lower levels of anxiety and depression .

We’re all we have, and we owe it to ourselves to take care of our physical and mental health. While we don’t set out to do ourselves harm, self-care often ends up last on the list of priorities in our busy lives.

The road to self-sacrifice is paved with good intentions. We sacrifice ourselves to meet deadlines, help others, and show others we love and care for them by going above and beyond to help them. We over-extend, over-promise, and exhaust ourselves so often and so much that we don’t even realize how tired and stressed we are.

When we’re tired, angry, and dissatisfied with ourselves. we reach for a quick fix to feel better. We over-indulge in habits and behaviors that offer temporary relief or distraction, but do not make things better. When the day is done, we’re often too tired to sleep... and we wake up the next day and do it all over again. The solution: bringing in quality self-care that sustains us and ensures that we factor ourselves into the equation of our lives.

Self-care and energy

Self-care revolved around caring for—and maximizing—our four sources of energy: the food we eat, our sleep , our breath (our physical activity levels), and our state of mind . Many experts frame tending to these four aspects of life as the four pillars of quality self-care. Integrating quality self-care into our lives is a powerful way to reconnect and reinvigorate ourselves, mind, body, and soul.

Unlike a shiny new vehicle, we don’t come with an owner’s manual. But if we did, we’d all have the basic knowledge to fuel ourselves with fresh, high-quality, nutrition -rich foods. We would know to keep problematic behaviors and habits in check. We would know how to talk to ourselves with kindness and compassion and challenge our negative beliefs and self-defeating thoughts. We would take the time to move our bodies daily, to breathe deep, nourishing breaths. We would know how to prepare for and prioritize quality sleep. And we would understand the importance of pursuing interests and connections that bring us joy and a sense of connection to ourselves on a daily basis.

The absence of self-care

For people suffering from mental health issues like depression, every day is a challenge. I used to run groups for people suffering from depression. In our sessions, I would take everyone through an exercise of listing things that they enjoyed, things of interest and value to them, and things that made them smile. After everyone had completed their list, I would ask them to take a few minutes to reflect on how many of those activities they had engaged in over the previous week, and share their thoughts. Each week, almost everyone reported that they had not done any of the enjoyable activities on their list.

Connecting to ourselves

This group exercise illustrates a valuable lesson in resilience . Resilience isn’t something we do or don’t have. It is something we build and reinforce every day. Through having compassion for ourselves and purposely engaging in things that make us feel good when we have low self-esteem or are struggling, we connect to our power, our ability to lift and support ourselves through whatever comes our way. Self-care involves valuing ourselves enough to make our health, well-being, and happiness a priority. It means having compassion for ourselves by acknowledging when we are struggling, over-extending ourselves, or feeling unwell.

5 steps for enhancing self-care

We need to understand that we can step back, press pause, and direct our energy on taking care of ourselves. We need to realize that we can choose to live our lives in a way that supports and optimizes both our physical and mental health, fitness, and well-being!

Make quality a priority in your life. Quality food, rest, and time to connect with friends, family, and ourselves feeds, repairs, and restores the body, mind, and spirit.
Pay attention to your thoughts. Challenge negative self-talk , fears, and feelings of inadequacy.
Be as nice to yourself as you are to others. We’re often our harshest critics and most relentless worst enemies.
Start saying no to requests to help others when you are running on empty or don’t have the time to take care of your own need.
Stay connected to yourself. Engage in an activity or experience that brings you joy, no matter how briefly. Sit in the sunshine. Listen to a favorite song. Meet a friend. Walk in nature. Simply do something that brings joy and love and keeps you connected to yourself.

Monica Vermani, C. Psych., is a clinical psychologist specializing in the treatment of trauma, stress, mood and anxiety disorders, and the author of A Deeper Wellness .

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2 Minute Speech On The Importance Of Mental Health In English

Good morning everyone present here, today I am going to give a speech on the importance of mental health. The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of self-awareness, the ability to manage everyday stresses, and the capacity for productive work. Mental health serves as the cornerstone of both individual well-being and a community’s efficient operation. The country’s development depends on its health.

More than 450 million people around the world suffer from mental diseases. By 2020, depression will be the second most prevalent illness worldwide. The cost of mental illness will exceed the capacity of developed and developing countries to provide sufficient care. It is more critical than ever to look for strategies to both promote and treat mental disorders due to the rising costs of mental illness on society and the economy.

It is undeniably true that sadness causes heart and vascular disorders, and that physical and mental health are intimately related. Alcohol and tobacco use, eating sensibly, frequent exercise, getting enough sleep, engaging in safe sexual behavior, and following medical advice are all health behaviors that are affected by mental problems, which increase the risk of physical sickness.

Social issues like unemployment, disintegrated families, poverty, drug abuse, and related criminality are also influenced by mental illness. Immune system dysfunction is significantly influenced by poor mental health. Patients with depression who are medically unwell perform worse than those without. Depression risk is increased by long-term conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Thank you.

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Loneliness and its importance for your mental health

I n order to be healthy on an emotional and physical level, humans tend to be social creatures, and research has indicated that social connections are vital to emotional and physical wellbeing. In order to maintain a healthy mental state, however, alone time is also crucial.

In addition to being rewarding, it can also be stressful to be around other people. The opinions of other people are important to you. Changing your behavior to avoid rejection and fit in with the rest of the group is the best way to avoid rejection.Despite the fact that it can be exhausting to spend so much time with others, it is important to take time for ourselves to relax and enjoy life.

Time for yourself allows you to let go of social pressures and let yourself be free to think, feel and experience on your own terms without feeling pressed by social pressures. Those who have found themselves in close quarters with family members have faced the challenges of feeling isolated and lonely.

or roommates. People were suddenly struggling with a lack of time for themselves due to the blurred lines between private and professional lives.

Why it is important to spend time alone

There are a number of benefits to spending time alone.

There are several factors to consider, some of which are as follows:

Research conducted on a personal basis,

Creativity,

Energy generated by social interaction,

Developing independently;

If you are interested in learning something new, exploring topics that interest you, gaining knowledge, or practicing new methods of self-expression, drawing can be a wonderful way to go about it.You may be able to explore these things to a greater extent if you give yourself time to be alone, without the pressure or judgment that others may impose on you.

To be able to grow and develop personally, you need to take time for yourself from time to time. By spending time alone, you are able to concentrate on your own needs, interests, and opinions instead of worrying about what others might think, feel, or think about you.

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The Importance of Mental Health
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10 Lines Speech on Mental Health. Mental health is an important topic that needs to be talked about. Millions of people are impacted annually by this grave problem. It is important to have mental health conversations and destigmatize the issue. Talking about mental health can help people identify and understand their own mental health, as well ...
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Talking about mental health helps improve our communities by making it more acceptable for those suffering from mental illnesses to seek help, learn to cope, and get on the road to recovery. In addition, mental health isn't just about mental illnesses. It's also about maintaining a positive state of wellbeing.
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Advertisement. Our mental health can affect factors like: Your self-esteem and self-worth. The way you socialize with others. The way you find meaning and value in your life. Your psychological ...
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According to the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), 90 percent of people who die by suicide have depression or other mental disorders, or substance-abuse disorders in conjunction with other mental disorders. Yet we don't give this link its due. Says Solomon, "Just as the association between mental illness and crime is too strong ...
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Its upkeep is critical for promoting positive habits and general well-being. Investing in one's mental health can boost productivity, improve one's self-esteem, and help improve relationships. It does not end there; fostering it can also assist us in controlling or at the very least combat some of the physical health issues that are said to ...
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The one thing all humans have in common is that each of us wants to be happy, says Brother David Steindl-Rast, a monk and interfaith scholar. And happiness, he suggests, is born from gratitude. An inspiring lesson in slowing down, looking where you're going, and above all, being grateful. 50:00. Priya Parker.
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It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development. Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders.
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The Importance Of Mental Health. Mental health is important. It impacts how we feel, think, and behave each day. Our mental health also contributes to our decision making, problem solving, how we deal with stress, and how we can relate to others in our lives. That's why, we have to always care about our own mental health.
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1. Talking about mental health: speech, language, communication and swallowing. Executive summary. There are important links between mental health and speech, language, communication and swallowing needs. Those needs can: contribute to the development of a mental health condition; be an intrinsic part of a mental health condition; and/or result ...
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Media Advisory. Monday, July 19, 2021. Words matter: language can reduce mental health and addiction stigma, NIH leaders say. What. In a perspective published in Neuropsychopharmacology, leaders from the National Institutes of Health address how using appropriate language to describe mental illness and addiction can help to reduce stigma and improve how people with these conditions are treated ...
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Read the speech in its entirety here. For tips on how to start a conversation about mental health, read Lady Gaga's mom's advice on getting the mental health conversation rolling. Editor's Note: Struggling and feeling hopeless? You are not alone. Please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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The World Health Organization today released its largest review of world mental health since the turn of the century. The detailed work provides a blueprint for governments, academics, health professionals, civil society and others with an ambition to support the world in transforming mental health. In 2019, nearly a billion people - including 14% of the world's adolescents - were living ...
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Dr. Schroder's research focuses on how people think and talk about mental health. He studies common explanations such as the "chemical imbalance" narrative and how people interpret such messages. He also studies alternative frameworks for understanding mental health that may promote less stigma and more hope for recovery.
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Heather shines an understanding light in the dark "stigma" of mental health. She provides a unique viewpoint and embraces the immediate need for mental health care.
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However, it is important to note that the range of participant specialities, knowledge and skill set was heterogenous and diverse. ... Cotton, L. , Forster, M. & Toseeb, U. (2021) Supporting the mental health of children with speech, language and communication needs: the views and experiences of parents. 10.31234/osf.io/xhsgd [PMC free article ...
It's Okay to Not Be Okay: Tips and Resources for Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a good reminder to focus on the importance of mental health and its impact on our well-being. Mental health conditions can affect anyone, regardless of gender, age, race, ethnicity, or income level. Recent data (PDF | 622 KB) help underscore that our nation is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis ...
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Mental health and well-being are essential components of a healthy and fulfilling life, and understanding them is crucial. Mental health encompasses a range of emotions, thoughts, and behaviors ...
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Social media use has grown in importance and prevalence, with its estimated number of users at 4.9 billion worldwide. Social media use research has revealed positive and negative impacts on users' mental health and well-being. However, such impacts among adults have not been examined in any reviews. Methods
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