Mental health is a subject that is drastically misinterpreted and misunderstood by many people. Thanks to institutions such as Hollywood, when the average person thinks of the mentally ill they conjure up images of straight jackets and mental asylums. They see people babbling to themselves or engaging in silly, but quirky behavior that can be overcome if we just believe a bit more in ourselves! This is the epitome of stupidity and has cost many people the ability to meaningfully pursue mental well-being. Mental health and well-being are just as important as physical.
Understanding mental health is important not only for a father, but for anyone. One’s quality of life is usually tied to how healthy their mind is. If one is subject to debilitating mood swings or dark thoughts, it’s pretty difficult to hold down a job to provide. In addition, one’s partner or children could grow to fear the individual just as much as love them. That can cause harm inadvertently to those that one cares the most about.
*The Difference Between Unwellness and a Bad Day
Depression is a topic that is very common. It is one of the most prescribed and diagnosed mental disorders today. It is common to see people poking fun at depression and those that self-harm because of it. This is because it is extremely difficult for a neurotypical (normal minded) person to grasp how mental illness affects the people around them. This is how you can start seeing the difference. Depression is not sadness. Sadness may be a component of depression, but they are not interchangeable. When an individual is sad, it may last a few hours or even weeks if mourning the loss of a loved one. That is perfectly understandable, normal, and healthy.
When an individual slips into the furthest reaches of depression, they cease to feel anything. There is no happiness, no sadness, no joy, no hate; nothing. There is only the void. It does not recede after a few hours or a few days. You carry it with you every minute of every day of every week for years at a time in serious cases. This compromises one’s physical health in addition to being a serious strain on relationships and friendships. If you’re experiencing long periods of feeling this emptiness then it may be worthwhile to inquire about assistance.
A myriad of options exist for mental health treatment today. They do not include institutionalizing you against your will! Our better understanding of the subject has revealed these things have a lot more to do with chemicals and one’s brain structure than it does with anything else. If this seems difficult to understand, think of it this way.
When you have a bad cold or a serious flu, how do you feel mentally? Do you feel bright, happy, chipper; eager to take on the day? Or would you prefer to curl up a ball, sleep, and forget about it? Chances are pretty good you will be leaning towards the latter. Now, if a physical illness can make you feel that way mentally; why would it be unfeasible to feel that way without sniffles or a cough due to a physical or chemical issue?
*Coming Back to the Home Front
It is a great and wondrous thing for a man or woman to offer their service to the defense of their people, regardless of where you call home. Making a stand is a strong, admirable thing to do for many fathers, mothers, and the friends and families of those that go. There is a difficult stigma attached to returning service members that have developed some mental health issues from their time under difficult circumstances. Those mental health issues can translate into a poorer quality of life than a returning soldier should be entitled to. The actual establishment has not helped much in that regard until recently.
In recent years we have seen military officers and even Generals coming forward to talk about their struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD can lead to many other problems for one’s home life. Developing and maintaining meaningful relationships can be common with the difficulties of depression and whatever anxiety may rear its head. Screening tools are available for testing for potential PTSD in an individual. You or your loved one made a great sacrifice for their people; said individual deserves a good, happy life in the long-term.
*Assistance for Those That Need a Hand
Mental health is not a subject that can easily be dealt with in a handful of paragraphs. The above are simply a couple of common problems that can have a very serious impact on the quality of one’s home life. The good news is that mental illness is not as feared as it used to be. Several methods are available for attaining wellness and living a good life. It is important to remember that a majority of media depictions of mental illness and the effects are nowhere near the reality.