WHO: Some statistics to bring about in actuality how severe Mental Health Issues are 

In 2019, 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people around the world were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common (1). In 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders rose significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Initial estimates show a 26% and 28% increase respectively for anxiety and major depressive disorders in just one year.

Identifying Mental Health Problems 

If our mental health is not tended well, it could lead to various distresses such as Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Low self esteem, Loss of appetite or sleep, psychosomatic illnesses (problems involving mind & body) such as somatoform disorders (mental illness as causing physical symptoms) or hypochondriasis (belief of a illness to be worse than it truly is), and so on. 

Someone who is under stress and does not or is unable to vent their emotions will eventually reach an emotional breaking point. 

But it doesn’t necessarily mean this was the onset. Mental Illnesses/Health problems can occur from Social, Environmental or Genetic as factors. But in a state like an economic crisis can allow these problems that were dormant to become worse. 

Each problem carry different symptoms 

And each illness has classifications and under that classification, you need about 4 or more symptoms to be experiencing for a long period. Many illnesses need to be exhibited for over 6 months in adults and 4 weeks more or less in children. Things such as Anxiety or Depression are mood states in mild form. What makes them a disorder is when these states are experienced severely and persistently. 

Keep in mind Depression is not an illness but a state. 

Depressive disorders: such as Major Depressive Disorder, Persistent Depressive Disorder (Disthymia), Premenstrual Depressive Disorder, Substance/Medication Induced Depressive Disorder and so on. 

Difference between Anxiety & Anxiety Disorders – 

Common to feel anxiety, from an evolutionary perspective. This occurs when we are confronted with potential harmful or worrying triggers; which is necessary for survival. 

Since the earliest days of humanity, the approach of predators and incoming danger sets off alarms in the body and allows evasive action. These alarms become noticeable in the form of a raised heartbeat, sweating, and increased sensitivity to surroundings, worrying, restlessness and so on.

The danger causes a rush of adrenalin, a hormone and chemical messenger in the brain, which in turn triggers these anxious reactions in a process called the “fight-or-flight’ response. This prepares humans to physically confront or flee any potential threats to safety. Especially after Covid and dealing with the economic crisis, it is normal to have these conditions worsen. 

Anxiety Disorders; Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Separation Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobia, Selective Mutism, Social Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder, (Panic Attack – not a mental disorder)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder 

This is a chronic disorder involving excessive, long-lasting anxiety and worries about nonspecific life events, objects, and situations. GAD is the most common anxiety disorder, and people with the disorder are not always able to identify the cause of their anxiety.

Identifying Panic Attacks

Recurrent unexpected panic attacks. A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that reaches a peak within minutes that happens recurrently and unexpectedly; However, panic attack is not a mental disorder and cannot be coded. Panic attacks can occur in the context of any anxiety disorder as well as other mental disorders (e.g., depressive disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders) and some medical conditions (e.g., cardiac, respiratory, vestibular, gastrointestinal). 

Somatic Disorders or Stress Induced Disorders

The word, ‘psychosomatic,’ means mind or, ‘psyche,’ and body or, ‘soma.’ A psychosomatic disorder is a disease involving both mind and body, in other words. Some physical diseases are thought to be especially prone to worsen by mental factors such as anxiety and stress. A person’s current mental state may affect how bad a physical disease is at any particular moment. 

• • Stress increases with uncontrollable conditions such as economic crisis, mistrust in the government or political figures and fear of survival in the future (whether its the next meal, month or year). With this you worry about the things which are out of your control, leading to unhealthy coping mechanisms, and if our temporary desires aren’t met, we end up worrying more about the stress.