{"id":5318,"date":"2019-06-20T13:33:09","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T13:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kokutangaza.com\/?p=5318"},"modified":"2019-06-20T13:33:09","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T13:33:09","slug":"what-is-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kokutangaza.com\/what-is-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Mental Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"
The subject of mental health is so taboo and so misunderstood that many people have no idea what it is. Mental health is actually a spectrum of so many things. Just as there can be so many ailments that affect the body; there are so many ailments that affect the mind. <\/span><\/p>\n In Tanzania many people deal with mental health issues by either ignoring the problem or depending solely on religious methods. Spirituality is a good thing, however, many people do not realize that you can in fact get medication and professional (medical) help that can manage or even cure a mental health issue. In some cases what is needed is a trained professional to help guide a person through their processes.<\/span><\/p>\n So, in order to help facilitate better knowledge of mental health, and in order to help those who have or are experiencing something that should be addressed, below is a glossary or list of some (not all) of the most common mental health issues:<\/span><\/p>\n (Note – If you go to the section of this website labeled \u201cCounseling\u201d you can find professional and medical help for a mental health issue).<\/span><\/p>\n ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)<\/b><\/p>\n is a chronic condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and sometimes impulsivity.<\/span><\/p>\n Alcoholism<\/b><\/p>\n Addiction to the consumption of alcoholic drink; alcohol dependency.<\/span><\/p>\n Alzeimer\u2019s Disease<\/b><\/p>\n Alzeimer\u2019s disease can occur in middle to old age and symptoms include: <\/span>Memory loss. Memory loss is the key symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. An early sign of the disease is usually difficulty remembering recent events or conversations. As the disease progresses, memory impairments worsen and other symptoms develop.<\/span><\/p>\n At first, a person with Alzheimer’s disease may be aware of having difficulty with remembering things and organizing thoughts. A family member or friend may be more likely to notice how the symptoms worsen.<\/span><\/p>\n Anxiety Disorder<\/b><\/p>\n Symptoms include:<\/span><\/p>\n Autism<\/b><\/p>\n Persons with autism may exhibit some of the following traits:<\/span><\/p>\n Bipolar Disorder<\/b><\/p>\n A disorder that causes severe and unusually high and low shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels as well as unusual shifts in the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. (Also known as\u00a0<\/span>Manic Depression<\/b>).<\/span><\/p>\n Dementia<\/b><\/p>\n Dementia describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with your daily life. It isn’t a specific disease, but several different diseases may cause dementia.<\/span><\/p>\n Though dementia generally involves memory loss, memory loss has different causes. Having memory loss alone doesn’t mean you have dementia.<\/span><\/p>\n Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of a progressive dementia in older adults, but there are a number of causes of dementia. Depending on the cause, some dementia symptoms may be reversible.<\/span><\/p>\n Depression<\/b><\/p>\n Lack of interest or pleasure in daily activities, sadness and feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt that are severe enough to interfere with working, sleeping, studying, eating and enjoying life.<\/span><\/p>\n Down Syndrome<\/b><\/p>\n Down syndrome<\/b>\u00a0(<\/span>DS<\/b>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>DNS<\/b>), also known as\u00a0<\/span>trisomy 21<\/b>, is a\u00a0<\/span>genetic disorder<\/span><\/a>\u00a0caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of\u00a0<\/span>chromosome 21<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0It is typically associated with\u00a0<\/span>physical growth<\/span><\/a>\u00a0delays, mild to moderate\u00a0<\/span>intellectual disability<\/span><\/a>, and characteristic\u00a0<\/span>facial features<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0The average\u00a0<\/span>IQ<\/span><\/a>\u00a0of a young adult with Down syndrome is 50, equivalent to the mental ability of an 8- or 9-year-old child, but this can vary widely.<\/span><\/p>\n Eating Disorders<\/b><\/p>\n Eating disorders are a range of conditions expressed through abnormal or disturbed eating habits.<\/span><\/p>\n These generally stem from an obsession with food, body weight or body shape and often result in serious health consequences. In some cases, eating disorders even result in death.<\/span><\/p>\n Postpartum Depression<\/b><\/p>\n Postpartum depression<\/b>\u00a0(PPD), also called\u00a0<\/span>postnatal depression<\/b>, is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth, which can affect both sexes.\u00a0<\/span>Symptoms<\/b>\u00a0may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and changes in sleeping or eating patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)<\/b><\/p>\n a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world.<\/span><\/p>\n Schizophrenia<\/b><\/p>\n A severe mental disorder that appears in late adolescence or early adulthood. People with schizophrenia may have\u00a0<\/span>hallucinations<\/b>,\u00a0<\/span>delusions<\/b>, paranoia, loss of personality, confusion, agitation, social withdrawal,\u00a0<\/span>psychosis<\/b>\u00a0and\/or extremely odd behavior. <\/span><\/p>\n Substance Abuse<\/b><\/p>\n Substance abuse<\/b>, also known as\u00a0<\/span>drug abuse<\/b>, is a patterned use of a\u00a0<\/span>drug<\/b>\u00a0in which the user consumes the\u00a0<\/span>substance<\/b>\u00a0in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a form of\u00a0<\/span>substance<\/b>-related disorder.<\/span><\/p>\n _____________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n (Some issues are not disorders, such as):<\/span><\/p>\n ______________________________________________________________________________<\/span><\/p>\n (Some issues simply have to do with improving mental wellness, such as):<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sources:<\/span><\/p>\n NIH: National Institute of Mental Health <\/span>https:\/\/www.nimh.nih.gov\/health\/topics\/schizophrenia\/raise\/glossary.shtml<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Understanding ADHD: The Basics <\/span>https:\/\/www.webmd.com\/add-adhd\/childhood-adhd\/understanding-adhd-basics<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Autism Awareness Center <\/span>https:\/\/autismawarenesscentre.com\/definition-autism\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Substance Abuse: Wikipedia <\/span>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Substance_abuse<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Alcoholism <\/span>https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=Dictionary<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Postpartum Depression: Wikipedia <\/span>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Postpartum_depression<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Down Syndrome: Wikipedia <\/span>https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Down_syndrome<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n\n
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