Let’s talk about it. Because mental health is important!
Repeat after me, mental health MATTERS. It does! Mental health is often a taboo because it is not something that is easily visible, or in plain sight. For some people, your battery life gets to low and you keep pushing yourself until you break down. You wouldn’t drive with your car on empty so why are you pushing yourself into a million different directions on empty? As cliche as it sounds, you can’t be your best self without taking care of yourself. How can you do all of these things, and help all of these people, if you barely have the energy to get out of bed in the morning? For many people, it is not so simple. It is important to take care of yourself and your loved ones, yet it is hard when you don’t really know how to recognize what signs to look for or how to help. Since September is suicide awareness month, we wanted to take the time at Pseudo Labs to have a discussion about mental health and provide some resources on the topic. Mental health matters and we want to help those in our community by breaking the stigma, talking about it, and sharing resources to spread awareness.
Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues not only affect one person, but it creates a ripple effect on those around you. It is important to talk about this and check in with the people around you. It is easy for many people to fall into a funk, or get stuck on a string of thoughts, making it hard to see a clear view outside of what seems like a fog. We’ve got to remember that if you are living with depression or any other form of mental illness, you are not alone in this no matter how much it may seem that way. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US. There is not a single cause for suicide, only a combination of risk factors and warning signs that may increase an attempt. Here are a few of these risks and warning signs to keep in mind, as learning about them can help save lives.
Risk factors can have to do with health, environmental factors, or part of their history.
- Some health risk factors include mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder etc. as well as physical health conditions or trauma.
- Environmental health factors can include prolonged stress, access to drugs, stressful life events or even exposure to another person’s suicide.
- Historical risk factors include a history of suicide in one’s family, previous suicide attempts, or trauma.
Here are some ways to spot some warning signs of depression and anxiety:
Sharp changes in behavior are important signs to look out for. Try to recognize the things people around you talk about. For example, talking about killing themselves, feeling hopeless, being a burden to others, feeling trapped, or having pain that is unbearable are all signs. Looking out for behaviors that surround increased substance use, isolating themselves, withdrawing from activities, saying their goodbyes, giving away possessions, abnormal sleep schedules, aggression, or fatigue all play a role in warning signs. In addition, it is important to be aware of various moods like depression, anxiety, irritability, shame, anger, even relief or sudden improvement are all things to keep in mind.
Ways you can help stop the stigma:
The easiest way to help is to check on the people around you! A phone call, a hangout all can be helpful! Sometimes when someone is feeling depressed, talking can even feel like a lot. According to the Real Depression Project, here are some ways to support someone with depression or anxiety when they don’t feel like talking:
There are so many resources available especially if you feel like no one around you really understands what you are going through. There are trained professionals here to listen and guide you in the right direction.
Here are some resources:
National suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741