What is Mental Health?
Mental health relates to your emotional, physiological, and social health. With these factors often determining how you approach life’s circumstances and situations, mental health issues can significantly impact life choices and relationships.
How Does Mental Health Affect My Every Day Life?
Mental health challenges greatly influence mood and behavior. Experiencing anxiety and extreme depression can prevent you from participating in social activities or building healthy relationships. Low self-esteem can affect career decisions causing you to decline opportunities to improve work status. Substance abuse can destroy your personal, professional, and social relationships when your drug of choice becomes first priority. Often Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can sadly interfere with your ability to hold a job or maintain personal relationships.
How Does Mental Health Affect My Physical Well-Being?
Mental health challenges often lead to increased stress which can then lead to stress related illnesses:
- Heart disease
- Hypertension or elevated blood pressure
- Debilitating headaches
- Gastrointestinal issues
Depression and anxiety may lead to overeating and obesity, a major factor in numerous serious medical conditions including cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Substance-abuse can lead to addiction wrecking havoc with your physical health. For instance, alcoholism is known to cause irreparable harm to your liver, heart, and neurological system.
What Causes Mental Health Disorders?
Many factors can impact your mental health:
- Brain chemistry
- History of trauma or abuse
- Genetic factors, often identified by a family history of mental health disorders
What are Treatments for Mental Health Challenges?
The first step in treating mental health issues begins with a comprehensive physical exam plus a review of your medical history to identify conditions which you may have developed as a result of your emotional or psychological distress. Our team then partners with you to design the most effective treatment plan for your circumstance remaining active in your care throughout the process. There are many effective treatments available for mental health disorders. Treatment for anxiety or depression may include anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication or a referral to a psychiatrist for management of complex mental health issues. For addiction, the most effective treatment may include referral for psychotherapy or a facility which specializes in an effective program.
