Mental Health and Well-Being

Mental health well-being is emotional, psychological and social well-being. It is not about living without any mental health issues, but it is about how you cope with your life stresses, life challenges, realise your abilities and their extents and contribute to your family and society productively. The ultimate goal is both mental and physical well-being.  

Importance of good mental health:

It is essential for overall mental and physical well-being to function effectively and productively. It will help to build mental resilience to coup with life changes and finally improve your quality of life overall. 

Factors affecting

Your mental health is influenced by your physical health, sleep pattern, substance use (alcohol, smoking, recreational drugs), exercise, diet, cultural background, living conditions, social interactions with family, friends and others in society and your life experience such as abuse and trauma.  

In any mental health conditions, if you are feeling insecure, life threatening or harmful thoughts, you should immediately see your doctor or go to nearest emergency department or call 000. 

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  • Stress is a natural response to challenges in your life. It can be both positive and negative, impacting your physical and mental health. It could be short term [acute] or long-term (chronic) stress. Stress could be caused by work conditions, relationship changes, life changes, health matters and financial matters. 

    Symptoms

    When you are stressed it could manifest as:

    • Sleep disturbance, stomach upset, fatigue, tiredness, muscle pain and headaches. 

    • Mood changes, irritability, anxiety. 

    • Daily routine changes, increased use of alcohol and recreational drugs. 

    Management:

    Relaxation techniques, meditation, yoga and deep breathing will help to overcome stress. Make sure you are having adequate quality sleep. Lifestyle modifications like regular exercise, diet control, healthy diet and reduced alcohol consumption [limiting to standard drinks] will help to reduce stress. When you are stressed, it's better to talk to your family, friends and your doctor.  

    If your stress affects day-to-day activities, if you can't manage by yourself, it's better to seek medical help. Chronic stress can lead to physical medical issues like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. 

  • Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress. You might feel worried, nervous or fear that are strong enough to affect your day-to-day activities. 

     Symptoms:

    • Dizziness, headaches, sweating, fast heartbeat or palpitation, shortness of breath. 

    • Sense of impending doom, irritability, fear and worry. 

    • Poor sleep, restlessness, difficulty in focusing and avoiding social situations. 

    Management: 

    Like in stress management, lifestyle modifications, and relaxation techniques will play a major role in managing your anxiety. 

    You can see a psychologist or a counselor for counselling and cognitive behavioral therapy. If your anxiety is not manageable from the above strategies, you can talk to your doctor to start on anti-anxiety medications. 

  • Depression is common, but most of the time it is an undiagnosed mental condition that can negatively affect your life. If untreated, it can lead to further mental and physical problems. 

    Symptoms 

    Hopelessness, persistent sadness, loss of interest in the activities that you enjoyed before, changes in memory, difficulty in focusing and harmful thoughts. 

    Lack of sleep. Excessive sleep, fatigue, tiredness, lethargy. Increase or decrease appetite leading to weight gain or weight loss. 

    Harmful thoughts. Withdrawing from society and activities. 

    Management

    Like in stress and anxiety management, lifestyle modifications, and relaxation techniques will play a major role in managing your anxiety. 

    You can see a psychologist or a counselor for counselling and cognitive behavioral therapy. If your low mood is not manageable from the above strategies, you can talk to your doctor to start on medications like anti-depressants. 

  • Acknowledgement: The above information is from the National Autistic Society and Autism Awareness Australia

  • Acknowledgement: The above information leaflets were developed by Australasian ADHD Professionals Association (AADPA).

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