Stress May Be Wrecking Your Mental Health and Physical Health
Stress does not just show up in your head. It can interrupt your entire body’s health, spoiling your mood, sleep, immune system, and even heart health. Over time, stress can be a causative agent of headaches, fatigue, weight changes, or even chronic conditions. Chronic conditions could be high blood pressure, heart disease, and neurological distress. So, let’s take a deeper look and learn how to manage stress effectively and what you can do to stop diminishing your life.
Mental health has an impact on physical health and is an equally important component of overall health. It is also a state of well-being and ability to succeed. Many factors may influence our ability to succeed, like family, relationships, opportunities, and environmental circumstances. If you have no stress, you may still face mental health challenges. And you may experience positive well-being if you have a mental health condition. This situation could be temporary depending on different factors. You may have to visit a mental health clinic, discuss with a psychiatrist, and receive mental health services for further assessment.
The Mental Struggle We Face from Childhood to Older Adulthood
Stress may affect people’s lives differently in different stages of life. People face different challenges in their lives. These challenges may strengthen your mental health in a positive way or in a negative way. Physical health, economic conditions, and environmental circumstances are powerful tools in establishing mental health conditions. We will discuss separately all the challenges in different stages of age.
Childhood Mental Health
This stage begins from birth to 11 years old and includes reaching developmental and emotional maturity. Children learn healthy social behaviors from their parents, relatives, and society. These skills equip them in learning how to cope with problems as they grow up and move to a more practical life. Children who have better mental health have a positive quality of life and can perform well at home and in schools and become a more productive component of society.
Teen’s Mental Health
This phase of a child’s life starts at 12 and ends at 17 years of age. This is a unique and formative time. Many health behaviors and patterns are established during this time that carry over into adolescence. Important developmental changes occur in adolescence. Adolescents become vulnerable to mental health problems due to physical, emotional, and social changes, like poverty and a non-conducive environment.
Mental Health of Young Adulthood
Young adulthood ranges from 18 to 26 years of age, which comes with major transitions. Adults enter colleges, secure jobs, or start families. It is the age when there is a major risk of vulnerability to mental health issues. Positive mental health and well-being help young adults to cope with these challenges successfully. Positive mental health and well-being enable young adults to effectively manage these challenges.
Mental Health in Middle Adulthood
Middle adulthood starts at 27 and ends at 64 years old, often marked by a wide range of responsibilities. These responsibilities and life transitions can significantly impact mental health. Adults may face the challenges of demanding careers, financial pressures, and family responsibilities. These overlapping roles and expectations can be responsible for stress, anxiety, and emotional fatigue.
Mental Health of Older Adulthood
Older adults start at 65 years old, and they may face life-changing events. People often face retirement, relief from work pressure, stress, and daily structure. Serious chronic illness and losing loved ones can lead to frustration and fear at this age. Social isolation, reduced mobility, and living alone can contribute to feelings of loneliness and depression.
Risk Factors of Mental Health Conditions
Everyone may be at risk of developing a mental health disorder, influenced by individual, family, community, and societal factors. Some may face the risk of psychological health disorders, regardless of sex, age, income, or ethnicity. Cognitive health may be influenced by social, financial, adverse childhood experiences, biological factors, and medical conditions.
Many mental health disorder patients have more than one condition at the same time. Risk factors increase the possibility of mental disorders, while protective factors increase the possibility of a good state of mind.
The following factors may affect mental health conditions.
Risk factors
- Social and interpersonal discrimination
- Lack of basic healthcare, housing, and education
- No proper jobs and worse economic conditions
- Adverse childhood experiences and interpersonal violence
- Social distance
- Poor emotional well-being and management skills
- Addiction to alcohol and drugs
- Chronic physical health conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and trauma
Protective factors
- Quality education, lifestyle, and employment
- Positive management skills
- Living with an excess of basic needs
- Biological and hormonal factors
- Stable relationships and strong social connections
Mental Health Services
Mental health is also essential to your overall health. Self-care plays a key role in maintaining mental health and supporting your treatment if you have a mental illness. Further, you should search in your area or for a psychiatrist in Moreno Valley for treatment.
Exposure to risk factors is not a real chance to experience mental distress. People with unknown risk factors may still suffer from stress, and some may develop mental health conditions. We can improve mental health if we work collectively to reduce risk factors. Preventing psychological stressors and promoting supportive elements are only impactful during developmental stages, such as childhood and adolescence.
Steps to Help Maintain Mental Health Conditions
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suggested some key factors to reduce mental health conditions and stress to increase energy levels. These factors are discussed below:
- Daily Exercise: Exercising for about 45 minutes daily can help improve your mental health.
- Balanced Diet: A balanced diet provides constant energy for the whole day.
- Good quality sleep: Maintaining quality sleep for 8 hours daily can improve mental and physical health.
- Healthy Activities: Breathing exercises, proper meditation, and book reading can help reduce stress.
- Positive Social Interactions: Social activity and healthy relationships can help reduce stress.
How Can I Find Help?
If you feel that you are facing similar symptoms about your mental health, talk to a primary care provider. They can refer you to a mental health professional, such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist, in Moreno Valley. A local mental health clinic can help you figure out the next steps.
Do your homework, write the questions you would want to ask your healthcare provider, and get appropriate mental health services in Moreno Valley. Stay updated from open resources; get data from credible resources, and make a personalized toolkit in an emergency. You can learn more from the NIMH and Mental Health Services Administration websites on mental health issues.