Are we Mentally OK ?

Nope. It is wrong if you only visualize the 'crazy' people on the street and define that as the only situation where one is mentally not OK.

One day, I was in my former boss' room having a conversation about work. Our such conversations would normally lead to more topics.

That particular day, we were talking about the community of our workplace - in general. I remember highlighting on few colleagues who could be so friendly to you one day, and act as though they never knew you at all the next day. Our conversation was all about how unbelievable people can be.

I claimed that I thought I did something wrong. My former boss' answers were an eye opener.

She said, "It is not you, it's them".

She mentioned that mental health does not refer to obvious mentally-not-healthy people only (crazy people - the simplest to describe). It has a wide definition which I think not many know, but must know!

Now, let me highlight that I am not the best and right person to talk about this theoretically and scientifically. This writing touches only on general understanding about the mental health issues.

The following is a list of some of the well-known mental illness :

1. Hallucination

2. Schizophrenia

3. Bi-polar Disorder

4. Multiple Personality Disorder

5. Major depression

6. Dementia

7. Anxiety Disorder.

8. Phobias.

There are basically more than 200 mental illnesses. We might have met few that are going these illnesses and label them as people who are diagnosed of having a psychiatric problem. Do we know that we, and/or our beloved ones can be categorized under this group of people too ?

Yes, we may not yet have to walk-in the psychiatrist's office, however, being ignorant and silent about this may cause us more severe troubles in the future. We have already seen, read, and listened to news about a child who killed a family member, someone who committed suicide due to poverty, a father raping a daughter, a student brought guns to schools and shot his/her teacher to death, bully cases in schools and universities, and so many more.

Sometimes we wonder, WHY ON EARTH they did what they did. A normal human being would not have done all that. We often end up saying that they are crazy and and different.

As much as I hate reading, watching and listening to news, for some reasons I have to sometimes, and I would end up regretting it.

There are a lot of reasons why things can become so troublesome and to an extent of where it is today.

For me, as a person, and as someone who have witnessed these mental illnesses with my own eyes, all I can say is that everything starts from that tiny moment, where one ignored it. If we do not ignore, a lot of efforts can be taken to help heal before things get too far like today.

Now, before I go further, let's check ourselves, our behaviors and the way we think. Often, we thought we only have mood swings, and it is just another bad hair day. Do we know that it could be more than that ?

Have you gone through the following situations ? :

1. Stress. Simply stress.

2. Depress. Too stress you can label yourself as depressing.

3. Overly sensitive. Little things people tell you would cause you to hibernate in your room for 2 days or more.

4. Insomnia, or having sleep a lot.

5. Lazy.

6. Stubborn.

7. A whiner.

8. Jealousy.

9. Judgemental.

10. Over-analyzing.

11. Anger.

I think you already get where am I heading to. Please continue to think of other similar scenarios.

If you do encounter any of these in yourselves, and for the fact that you've gone through them for quite some time, please consider seeking for professional helps.

These are not only human nature, but these can lead to severe mental illnesses. If you do not take note of them, and worst, not seeking for helps to change, you will regret of the consequences.

It is unlikely that a 'patient' can fully digest what I am recommending. So, readers, if you know anyone who is undergoing these troubles, please hold their hands tightly and seek for professional helps.

All of the mentioned signs are signs that would lead to the major mental illness, which if they are not helped, a victim could end up committing suicide, or end up living their life carrying this burden until the day they die.

This is also inherited. Imagine a mentally-ill parents who pass down the sickness to their children. Would we be surprised of the outcomes of our kids and youths today ?

Here are some tips dealing with victims (or if you are a victim yourselves, I hope you would push yourself to the maximum so you can help your own self) :

1. Victims are often denial. No one would want to admit that they are mentally ill. Convince them in a gentle way that this is not a bad thing. It's natural sometimes, but no harm checking and evaluating.

2. Victims who know that they need help would go themselves without you helping them. The only thing you need to know is to keep an eye on them, and on their changes. Should they look different, spare some time to ask if there's anything bothering them.

3. Chronic victims need major and professional helps. They will not understand words. They are completely in a different world. Drag them if you must. The helps must come from her/his surrounding, but not initiated by themselves alone. They will end up no getting helps at all.

Where to go to ? Base on my own personal experience dealing with such situations, I would recommend the following :

1. God / Religion. It is always right to come back to God first. Do not skip religious practices. Indeed, this is the basic of everything.

2. Family members, friends, trusted ones - Always find someone to share what's bothering you. Do not bottle up everything on your own. Other than feeling a lot better, you would also find recommended solutions to your problems.

3. Counselors / therapists - I do believe that these people are there not to help you, but to help being the second you. It takes you alone to tell what's right for your. Often, we only listen to ourselves. By telling and pouring stuffs to counselors/therapists, you will find out that they are there passionately listening. You will at the end feel a lot better. You will also find yourselves offering solutions to your own selves.

4. If you think that your case is quite severe already, please do not ever be shy to seek for helps from clinical psychiatrists. Visiting clinical psychiatrists does not mean that you are crazy. They are more or less like counselors, except for they prescribe you medicines.

Last but not least, every individuals should measure their own capacity. Only you know what's right and what's not with yourself. I would also like to highlight that there's nothing to be embarrassed of having to go through a mental illness. It makes you a different person from the others - that's all. There are a lot of people who are going through the same thing as you. The difference is whether they seek for helps or otherwise. That makes you a strong person to value and identify your strengths and weaknesses, and seek for helps when you need to.

You are not only different, but you are extraordinary !