Mental health isn’t as simple a phenomenon as people might assume it to be. To put it plainly, you can’t ask a patient of depression to go out and do something with their life or clean their room. The very fact that they are suffering from depression is what’s keeping them from trying something in their life. Similarly, a person suffering from schizophrenia shouldn’t be convinced of what your notion of reality is. For them, their reality constitutes everything they see regardless of whether you’re privy to it or not.
This is exactly what psychiatrist dubai and all around the world try to let people know whenever they come in. It’s crucial for the whole society to understand the basic attitudes that need to be adopted in order to incorporate suffering individuals. Alienating or isolating them is always a sure way to put their lives at risk.
Whereas, in an educated society, a person suffering from any mental disorder will be treated as an individual whose condition is understood. Obviously, trained professionals are the only ones who can actually help to treat their problem. However, society needs to ensure that all individuals feel as if they belong, otherwise, they’ll feel left out.
So, let’s take a look at common mental disorders that you can identify around you and adjust your attitudes accordingly:
Anxiety
Often confused with paranoia or depression, anxiety is the feeling of dread and fear that persists for elongated durations. It should be noted that anxiety disorder is different from the regular anxiety you feel when you’re nervous or sceptical.
In certain situations, it’s normal or justified to feel anxious. However, anxiety disorders are identified by their duration of persistence. If the condition prevents the person from engaging in their daily life activities for more than a justified amount of time, the patient needs help.
It’s difficult for the untrained professional to deal with patients of anxiety, even if the patient is trying to communicate. This is largely due to the difference in streams of thoughts. Quite likely, patients of anxiety will have a rapid change of pace, mood and thought patterns. Consoling them that things will be alright is only going to work if you listen to everything they talk about first.
Symptoms and Effects
Symptoms of anxiety can include excessive use of adaptors such as fidgeting, nail-biting, shaking legs, tapping the pen or any other object in proximity. The individual who’s suffering from an anxiety disorder will have uncontrollable and racing thoughts that prevent them from concentrating or focusing on anything else. Moreover, it can also cause a loss of appetite and sleep deprivation. The constant concern of the ‘future’ that becomes overwhelming is also a common symptom of anxiety disorders.
Dysthymia (Mild/Chronic Depression)
Chronic depression or dysthymia is, unfortunately, another common psychological problem that is underestimated and overlooked.
Due to their persistence, chronic depression and dysthymia are now referred to as persistent depressive disorder. As stated above, it’s not as simple as ‘turning that frown upside down’ to tackle cases of depression. Moreover, it’s also difficult to say who can get it and who can’t.
That’s because there’s no proof of genetics or specific circumstances to be the cause. Some people with a family history of depression might not display similar symptoms even in abnormal circumstances. Whereas there are cases in which there is no family history, yet the patient is displaying undeniable symptoms and signs of chronic depression.
Even the best psychologist in Dubai won’t be able to treat a patient of depression in a matter of days. It’s a serious disorder that needs to be tackled with the utmost diligence and care.
Symptoms and Effects
Symptoms of depression include a general state of sadness and nihilist thoughts, often leading to the contemplation of suicide. Depression patients don’t find anything to be entertaining, even the things they once enjoyed. Similarly, this could be followed by insomnia, eating disorders or loss of appetite leading to weight loss, etc. You can be sure that the patient feels exhausted and burdened most of the time. Thoughts of guilt, hopelessness and deeming one’s self worthless and useless are also common.
There’s no denying the fact that most patients of depression are likely to commit suicide if things don’t get better. Social isolation and alienation are primary factors that lead to this tragedy. Lack of communication with one’s peers and loved ones are crucial aspects that force individuals to feel as if nothing matters.
If not suicide, patients can also resort to substance abuse and rely on addiction as the only source of motivation. Particularly in such cases, stigmatization can worsen the circumstances and isolate the individual, thereby reducing the chances of the patient to feel normal and connected with their lives and the world.
It’s high time that we, as a society, move on from the superficial logics of mental health we’ve developed. Psychology has advanced enough for us to be able to identify problems and rectify their causes. Therefore, it’s essential that everyone jumps on the bandwagon and helps create an atmosphere that’s right for all individuals. Whether they’re kids suffering from speech disorders, social disorders or admitted in Autism Dubai schools or even adults. We all need help and if we’re not there for each other, who will be?
