4 Questions to Ask Your Mental Health Specialist

The term mental illness is used to describe a wide range of illnesses that express symptoms that primarily affect a person’s emotional well-being, in terms of their perceptions of, and reactions to, events and circumstances that occur in their daily life, their mood, and behavior, and how they interact with others.

Below is a shortlist of just some of the most commonly treated mental illnesses:

– Anxiety disorders: Phobias, panic disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
– Behavioral and emotional disorders in children: Oppositional defiance disorder (ODD), conduct disorder (CD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
– Bipolar affective disorder: A mood disorder (once called manic depression), includes mania, deep depression, and one may express psychotic symptoms. The exact cause is unknown, but genetic predisposition is likely, triggered by environmental stressors.
– Depression: A mood disorder, loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed, loss of energy. Varying levels of severity and symptoms can lead to suicidal thoughts.
– Eating disorders: Includes bulimia, anorexia, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorders. Serious psychological and physical consequences and can affect both genders.
– Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): An anxiety disorder producing unwanted and intrusive thoughts, recurring obsessive thoughts, and behavior. Distressing repetitive, and time-consuming rituals.
– Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A deep, uncontrollable response to a traumatic event, triggered by the memory of the event. Serious accidents, environmental disasters, the experience of war or torture, sexual assault, and childhood abuse.

The above list is informational only and is not intended to assist in any form of diagnosis of a mental disorder. Please see your doctor if you suspect you or a family member may be experiencing symptoms. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, with suicide being the second leading cause of death among the ages of 15 to 29 years old.

In addition to seeking professional care and therapy, at times, certain medications can provide much-needed relief from some of the most debilitating symptoms.

However, there are several mental health exercises a person can do anytime that have proven to help have positive results on emotional health and wellbeing.

Some include:

– Stay active: Regular exercise and activity can have a very positive impact on our mental and emotional health.
– Increase social connections: Life is gradually coming back to normal, face-to-face interactions hopefully can increase, and will help with our mental health.
– Keep a journal of 3 good things: Each evening before bed, list in your journal 3 good things that happened today. This exercise has been shown in studies to have very positive results.
– Focus on gratitude: Each day, list at least three things, or people, in your life that you are grateful for. It’s virtually impossible to be authentically grateful, and sad at the same time.

Depression has been proven to be far more complex, and not simply the result of a chemical imbalance, as it is often thought. Chemicals are certainly involved, but it’s not a simple matter of an imbalance.

There are many possible causes of depression or things that bring on depression.

Below are some possible causes:

– Genetic vulnerability
– Faulty mood regulation by the brain
– Stressful events in life
– Medications
– Medical issues
– Childhood emotional neglect (CEN)

Both medications and psychotherapy as a treatment approach for mental health disorders have been shown in studies to be more effective than either method used alone.

Common types of psychotherapy include:

– Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
– Interpersonal therapy
– Psychoanalysis
– Psychodynamic psychotherapy
– Supportive psychotherapy

If you, a family member, or someone you care about is in need of mental health care, our highly trained, compassionate, and understanding mental health professionals at Advanced Psych Care are here to help you. We want to help you get back to the life you want and deserve. Call our office, or visit our website to set up a consultation. We serve patients from Salem NH, Windham NH, Atkinson NH, Plaistow NH, Pelham NH, Hampstead NH, Danville, NH and Derry NH.