Professional mental health treatment is the best option for individuals struggling with severe mental illness. If you or your loved one is experiencing mental health issues that affect their daily lives, read on to learn about our integrated approach to healing.
What Is Mental Health?
In the same way that physical health is the well-being of your body, mental health is the well-being of your mind. Although you might not think about it, especially when your mental health is good, your mind is vital to your existence. Your identity, emotions, and thoughts make up a large part of your experience of the world. Just like a muscle can be pulled or a bone can be broken, your mind can incur damage that can affect how you live your life. When damage to your mental health becomes a long-term issue, with the symptoms recurring for days, weeks, or even years, this may be called a mental illness or mental health disorder.
Mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the U.S. It’s estimated that one in five Americans (57.8 million people in 2021) will be living with a mental illness. While there is no single cause, many factors can put someone at greater risk for mental illness:
- Trauma or abuse in early life
- Genetic history of mental illness
- Chemical imbalances in the brain
- Feelings of isolation or loneliness
- Use of alcohol or drugs
- A sudden life change, like the loss of a loved one
These factors mean that mental health issues can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity. It can negatively affect many aspects of your life, but the good news is it’s treatable.
Mental Health Affects Your Physical Well-Being
Although mental health issues originate in the mind, they can also affect your physical health. Disorders like depression and anxiety can cause symptoms such as digestive issues, disturbed sleep patterns, headaches, and much more.
Mental Health Affects Your Relationships
Maintaining healthy relationships while dealing with mental illness can be difficult. Mental health issues can cause you to withdraw from socializing, which can damage relationships with friends and family members. In other cases, mental health can cause mood swings and uncharacteristic behavior, which can push your loved ones away when you need them most.