Contents:
- Medical Video: Reducing the Stigma of Mental Health
- Mental disorders can affect anyone
- The stigma that people with mental disorders are crazy
- What are the symptoms of a mental disorder?
- Don't be shy to seek help
- If the closest person has a mental disorder
Medical Video: Reducing the Stigma of Mental Health
In the past year, the world has been shocked about the news of famous people with mental disorders. Starting from Korean celebrity T.O.P, soccer player Aaron Lennon, to the last Linkin Park vocalist Chester Benington who even found suicide due to suspicion of depression. This incident made us realize that mental disorders are around us and people do not realize it.
Mental disorders can affect anyone
Mental disorders are syndromes or behavioral patterns that are clinically meaningful and related to stress (distress) in the function of life. This disease actually affects 43.8 million people in America or 1 in 5 adults. In Indonesia, there are 6% of people in Indonesia with symptoms of depression and anxiety and 400,000 people with schizophrenia.
Indonesian people still consider mental disorders only a disease suffered by people in the Mental Hospital. Even though mental disorders can affect anyone, including ourselves and those closest to us. Unfortunately, awareness and knowledge about this situation is still low, especially in Indonesia. So, don't be surprised if many don't realize that they are experiencing symptoms of a mental disorder.
The stigma that people with mental disorders are crazy
There is still stigma in society so people who experience these symptoms are reluctant to seek treatment because they do not want to be said to be "crazy". Though mental disorders can appear in a mild form and may only be in the form of anxiety and sadness.
If the symptoms that appear have disrupted your function in working and socializing, for example, you can already be said to have a mental disorder. Even though people might just say that you are just "tired" or "bored". You may not realize that what you are experiencing is far more serious than that.
This stigma is also related to the notion that there is a difference between physical illness and mental illness. So, people are reluctant to seek treatment because they feel that the disorder they experience will not be able to recover with treatment. Though mental disorders are known to be closely related to the imbalance of neurotransmitters or brain chemistry. For example, people with depression are known to have low serotonin. For this reason, in certain cases, doctors prescribe drugs to help balance the brain's chemistry. This is usually given along with other therapies.
This stigma causes symptoms of mental disorders not realized and dealt with which will then be more severe which can even end in suicide. Therefore, it is necessary to begin the existence of awareness about mental disorders so that we can all handle and prevent before becoming severe
What are the symptoms of a mental disorder?
Symptoms of mental disorders can vary greatly and appear in daily activities. these symptoms usually appear with changes in emotions, thoughts or behavior. Examples of symptoms that appear such as:
- Feeling sad
- Concentration difficulty
- Excessive anxiety or fear
- Avoid friends and family
- Feeling always tired or having trouble sleeping
- Difficulty in dealing with daily stress
- Use of alcohol or excessive drugs
- Changes in eating habits
- Anger and excessive violence arise
- Occurrence of hallucinations
- Guilt and uselessness
Symptoms to watch out for are suicidal thoughts. If this occurs or the closest person shows this, immediately ask for help from someone else or a psychiatric doctor.
Don't be shy to seek help
If this happens to us, don't feel embarrassed or discouraged. Mental disorders are things that can happen and are not different from physical disorders. If these symptoms do not go away, do not hesitate to talk to the closest people because the burden borne together will feel lighter. Do not be afraid to ask for professional help, because the disorder experienced can be controlled and improved. This is evidenced by the many people with mental disorders who can return to their activities optimally.
If the closest person has a mental disorder
If this happens to the closest person, you can do it mental health first aid consisting of:
- Approach, detect dangerous symptoms, and help the closest person in various situations. Dangerous symptoms that arise such as suicidal thoughts, want to hurt themselves or others, or avoid family, friends or social activities.
- Listen to their stories without judgment.
- Give support and information.
- Encourage sufferers to get professional help,
- Helps in other things such as sports, relaxation therapy, invites discussion in support groups, and invites them to social activities with friends or family.
Mental disorders are indeed serious problems that have not been understood by most people, causing stigma. Therefore, let us together face this. This can be started by giving correct information about mental disorders, so that people can recognize and eliminate the existing stigma.
