Mental Health
A space to acknowledge what is causing you specific feelings and behaviors, be able to know how to tackle them and start maintaining healthier mental habits. Each section has a behavior, relating it to causes, effects, and ways to prevent these from affecting you negatively.
01
anger
Anger can be attributed to three different types: passive aggression, (expressing negative feelings in an indirect way instead of openly talking about them), open aggression, and assertive anger.
People who suffer from continuous anger sprouts might also be felt when their heart rate and breathing increase, you may also feel feelings of frustration, stress, irritation, and rage. It is a natural response to feeling wronged as life doesn't always happen in the way you want or need, but it can become a problem when you get used to it on a daily basis.
When is it a problem?
Ways to actively reduce your anger
It becomes an issue when we're relying on verbal and physical aggression to feel better about ourselves or demonstrate power. As a negative effect, it could trigger anxiety with other feelings like overwhelming, plus any possible feelings of guilt.
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Take a timeout from the situation, if necessary
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Talking to a trusted friend who's not connected to the situation like a friend, family member, counselor, or peer support group. Expressing your thoughts out loud can help you understand why you're angry and help calm you down.
​Nostalgic depression is more likely in times of Adversity such as:
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Think before you speak (possible consequences) and not in the heat of the moment
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Discharge angry emotions and force through cardio-based exercise (padel, tennis, swimming, running, and more)
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source: https://www.mind.org.uk/information support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anger/managing-outbursts/
02
mood swings
Cyclothymia or cyclothymic disorder can cause mood changes from feeling low to emotional highs. Mood swings can affect daily life, causing personal and external problems. It can develop into bipolar disorder, so getting help is vital before reaching that stage.
Symptoms of cyclothymia
You might experience periods of low feelings (which don't last for much) followed by others of extreme happiness and excitement frequently. You might also feel sluggish and lose interest in things during these periods.
Medicines (prescribed): mood stabilizers such as Lithium, or anti-epileptic drugs like carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, or sodium valproate. You could also be prescribed antidepressants.
Treatment for cyclothymia
Aim: stop your cyclothymic disorder from developing into bipolar disorder, reduce your symptoms, and stop your symptoms from coming back. You might have to continue this treatment for the rest of your life.
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Psychotherapy: cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help with the disorder. CBT involves talking to a trained therapist to find ways to help you manage your symptoms, by developing ways to think differently and behave.
03
grief
Grief is a response to loss. You may feel sadness, anger, emptiness, confusion, and many other emotions. Or act in different ways than you normally would. The process takes time and there's no wrong way to experience it. Examples of where we might feel grief: are after a cancer diagnosis or during cancer treatment, loss of independence, fertility problems, or loss of loved ones.
You might experience grief in waves or cycles, with intense feelings lasting a few hours or even days. It is normal to act in ways that are different from how you typically act. Such as having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Grief and loss could even make you question your beliefs and how you see the world.
Physical sensations, and emotions
You might notice that your throat or chest feels tight or heavy. Or even feeling sick to your stomach.
Other physical feelings can be
headaches, dizziness, numbness, muscle weakness, or extreme tiredness. While going through disbelief, confusion, and difficulty concentrating as an effect of anxiety or depression.
Ways to overcome grief
There are 4 ways to try and overcome grief:
1) Accept that the loss really happened
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2) Feel the pain of grief
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3) Adjust to life without your loved one or adjust to the changes that come with your issue
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4) Find new ways to stay connected to the person you lost
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All of these steps are dependent on the type of loss you are experiencing, how old you are, your personality, and how much support you have from friends, family, and your community. One of the most important components of healing from grief is having support from your loved ones. ASs you'll stop feeling alone and overcome your conflict in a more human-touch way.
04
stress
Stress is a natural human response to what we experience. Usually, it is a physical or emotional response to the demands or pressures of daily life. The important piece to realize is that we all experience stress to some degree where our state of worry or mental tension increases because of that difficult situation.
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Common causes of stress can be because of work, money, relationships, and illness. Also, we can feel stress and anxiety about upcoming important events like exams, competitions, meetings, etc...
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
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Sleep disturbances
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Difficulty concentrating
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Lack of confidence
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Difficulty relaxing
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Difficulty with decision making
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Irritability
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Tearfulness
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Physical symptoms of stress can include:
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Muscle tension and pain
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Low energy
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Nervous twitches or muscle spasms
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Changes in appetite
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Decreased sexual function
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Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
source (1): “Stress- Southern Cross Medical Library.” Southern Cross NZ, https://www.southerncross.co.nz/medical-library/miscellaneous-medical-conditions/stress-symptoms-causes-and-treatment#.ZA72buzMK3I.
How can I manage my stress?
Before seeking medical advice for treatment you can try to adapt your way of living by maintaining a healthy diet and avoiding food that could lead to an increase in stress such as coffee, tea, and foods high in sugar. Exercise is also essential as it'll help release built-up tension in your body. Experts tend to recommend three times a week of exercise but it all depends on each individual.
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Relaxation and mindfulness are other effective and free ways to help reduce the tension associated with stress. Techniques such as yoga, tai chi, meditation, and massages relax the body and help maintain its stability. Videos on youtube or other social media platforms have courses in meditation and other mindfulness activities for free!
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Lastly, counseling with an impartial person like a trusted family member, friend, or colleague can open the gate to knowing yourself. Once you understand what is concerning you, you'll be able to go through a process of dealing with stress in an appropriate way. Always talk with anyone if something is concerning you.
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source (2): “Stress.” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/stress#:~:text=What%20is%20stress%3F,experiences%20stress%20to%20some%20degree.
05
nostalgia
Nostalgia is attributed to the feeling of excessive sentimental yearning. Those who suffer from nostalgia constantly desire to return to a past period or irrecoverable condition: a specific date, year, or period of time (such as your graduation, teenage years, first experience with love, etc...). A past when things seemed better, easier, and possibly even more fulfilling.
Symptoms of nostalgia tend to be associated with sensory stimuli (familiar music, smells, touch, and others). This might trigger such emotions of longing, but it can also be elicited by conversations, and even by self-directed memory recollection. In other words, forced recall of past events that you believe bring you happiness and joy.
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Coping with Nostalgic Depression:
Reach out to others.
Make an effort to connect with important people from your past AND present so that you love. This can lead to greater optimism and overall happiness as you share what's upsetting you with something.
If this option is not available as of now you can also look for lessons from the past. What this means is doing some introspection you can find the courage to bring back those memories from the past, as they can always be part of your present through direct action.
Another piece of advice is manipulating your own thoughts, making them become positive nostalgic moments. In the case that you feel nostalgia for a person from the past, you can try and find a similar relationship in your memories with someone still living, or present in your current life. This will help reassure you of the fact that you do have a chance to change what you think is terminated and develop that longing for a present feeling of accomplishment.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS
​Nostalgic depression is more likely in times of Adversity such as:
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Financial Hardship
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Grief
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Relationship Difficulties
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Traumatic Stress
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Death of a close loved one
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A divorce
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Moving to a new place
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Plausible effects:
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Isolating yourself from the world
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Extensive state of sadness
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Anxiety (most common)
06
low self-esteem
Psychologists define low self-esteem as a negative feeling triggered by a lack of confidence in one's self on who they are and what one can do. You might feel incompetent, unloved, or inadequate as if you don't "fit in" with what surrounds you. Those who struggle with low self-esteem are consistently afraid of making mistakes or letting other people down, in fear of further disappointing others.
Self-esteem can be said to have 5 faces: Security (I know I am safe), Identity (I know who I am), Belonging (I know others accept me), Purpose (I know what I want to achieve), and Competence (I know I am capable). This is very important as most people only tend to associate low self-esteem with 2 components: Identity and Competence.
Understanding what's the issue
It's important to know everyone has experienced the effects of gradual levels of self-esteem, either low or healthy. What's important is identifying what's causing you these thoughts and feelings, and addressing them properly to turn them into positive ones.
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But, How?
Start recognizing what you're good at. Jot it down on a piece of paper, creating a list of a total of 10 positive attributes, followed by what's causing you mental instability. Each day, try to add one more positive attribute, while you try and strengthen the ones already written in the paper. In the near future, you'll unconsciously work to turn that negative trait into a positive one you do like: encouraging you to elevate your self-esteem.
Other ways of getting better: Build positive relationships, learn to be assertive, give yourself a challenge, understand what you don't like in order to help change it, be true to yourself, and most important of all: be kind to yourself.
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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
Some early signs that you are going through a phase of low self-esteem include:
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Hiding from social situations
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You stopped trying new things
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Avoiding things you find challenging
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Traumatic Stress
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Death of a close loved one
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A divorce
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Moving to a new place
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Possible effects:
Avoiding challenging and difficult situations to make you feel safe will just backfire in the long run. It reinforces your underlying doubts and fears, teaching you the unhelpful rule that the only way to cope is to avoid.
You might start developing unhealthy habits as a way of coping such as smoking or drinking too much. Low self-esteem is heavily linked to rising depression and anxiety. This is why is so important to seek help. ​
07
insomnia
Insomnia is a common sleep disorder that makes it hard to fall asleep or stay asleep, or even causes you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep. You might also still feel tired when you wake up. Insomnia can sap not only your energy level and mood but also your health, work performance, and quality of life.
At some point, many adults experience short-term (acute) insomnia, which lasts for days or weeks. It's usually the result of stress or a traumatic event. But, some people have long-term (chronic) insomnia that lasts for a month or more. Insomnia may be the primary problem, or it may be associated with other medical conditions or medications.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS
causes
Even though the causes of insomnia are not 100% clear, it is often associated to:
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Stress and anxiety
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A poor sleeping environment: uncomfortable bed, or a bedroom that's too light, noisy, hot, or cold.
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Lifestyle factors: jet lag, shift work, or drinking alcohol or caffeine before going to bed.
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Mental health conditions: depression and schizophrenia
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Physical health conditions: heart problems, other sleep disorders, and long-term pain
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Certain medicines: antidepressants, epilepsy medicines, and steroid medication.
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day time effects
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Feeling tired, unwell, or sleepy during the day
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Delayed reflexes
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Trouble remembering things
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Mood disruptions, especially irritability
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Disruptions in work or social routines
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Slow thinking or trouble concentrating
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Battling Insomnia
The relapse of acute insomnia is easier to prevent, as long-term (chronic) insomnia should be treated with your local doctor, who might recommend medicine specific to your symptoms. Regardless of this, to prevent insomnia you can always:
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Set regular times for going to bed and waking up, relax before bedtime (try taking a warm bath or listening to calm music), use thick curtains or blinds to prevent being woken up by light (same with noise: earplugs), and avoid: caffeine, nicotine, heavy meals, and alcohol a few hours before going to bed, limit TV, phone, computer, and tablet usage before bedtime, and lastly, prevent napping during the day.
source: mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/insomnia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355167
08
loneliness
Loneliness is the internal feeling of isolation despite desiring social connections. It's often perceived as an involuntary separation, rejection, or abandonment by other people. Loneliness can cause people to feel empty, alone, and unwanted. They often crave human contact, but their state of mind makes it more difficult to form connections with others (different than solitude)
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It is worth noting, that there are 3 different types of lonely feelings: emotional loneliness (the absence of meaningful relationships), social loneliness (a perceived deficit in the quality of social connections), and existential loneliness (a feeling of fundamental separateness from others and the wider world)
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Why do we feel lonely?
situational variables:
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Physical isolation: moving to a new location. Divorce. The death of a loved one.
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psychological disorders:​
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Depression, often causes people to withdraw socially, leading to physical and mental loneliness. Loneliness can indeed also cause depression.
internal factors:
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Low self-esteem. Lacking confidence in one's self can lead you to believe that you are unworthy of attention, leading to isolation and chronic loneliness.
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personality traits:
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Introverts might be less likely to cultivate and seek social connections, which could in some cases (not all) contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Possible effects of severe loneliness: heart problems, depression, higher stress, decreased memory, drug abuse risk, and brain changes.
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it's healing process:
First, you should recognize that loneliness is a sign that something needs to change. Once you identify what's causing you this feeling of void and emptiness you can take several steps:
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1) Write on a piece of paper what you would do in an ideal world. If your loneliness comes from a specific person write a letter to them, dumping all your thoughts. Once you have it all written, you'll identify why things ended up being the way they did. Highlight on the letter what was done wrong, and write near it what could've been done differently. That will at least help you identify in future interactions or events what to do, boosting your confidence and sense of accomplishment.
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Other crucial tips: Always expect the best, focus on developing quality relationships, talk to someone you can trust, understand the effects of loneliness on your life, consider joining a groups (social, sports, or other).
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