Mental Health Awareness Month Part 1

Posted on May 5, 2024 by Positively Alyssa

Before I get started and you continue reading, please be advised I am NOT a medical or mental health professional, nor am I giving any advice. I will share the knowledge I gained through hours of careful research because I wanted to share factual information regarding this essential subject.

Since 1949, the United States has acknowledged May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Unfortunately, there is a negative stigma surrounding mental health, and people may feel uncomfortable talking about it for fear of judgment and ridicule. While we should always recognize the courage and resilience of the tens of millions of Americans who are living with at least one mental health condition, we must make an extra effort during May. The mental health professionals who have dedicated their lives to aid in the healing of those struggling with mental health deserve acknowledgment and appreciation for their selfless efforts. Loved ones who remain devoted and supportive, standing with the one dealing with any mental health situation through every step of the journey to overcome the challenging battle should also be embraced with compassion, consideration, and empathy because this can be an emotionally draining and love road to travel.

A mental illness is any condition affecting an individual’s thinking, behavior, or moods and can drastically impact one’s day-to-day living and how they relate to others. The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) intentionally uses the terms “mental health conditions” and “mental illness/illnesses” interchangeably because there is not a massive difference between them. An important fact that must be understood and relayed is that mental health conditions are prevalent. We may not hear about them often because many stay silent because they are too scared to be open and talk about their struggles.

There are many known mental health conditions affecting people, and the estimated number of cases is upsetting because too many people are not being properly treated or diagnosed. Sadly, too many people suffer silently and try to weather the storm alone. The NAMI has made public the following statistics, but please keep in mind these numbers could be a little higher or substantially higher.

One in five, 19.86% of adults (nearly 50 million Americans), in the United States experience mental illness yearly.

One in twenty, 4.91%, of adults in the United States experience a serious mental illness yearly.

One in six youths, ages 6-17 in the United States experience a mental health disorder yearly.

50% of all lifelong mental illnesses begin at the age of 14, and 75% by the age of 24.

The second leading cause of death among those between ages 10-14 is suicide.

The staggering numbers I have shared are only estimated and could be much higher due to many undiagnosed and untreated cases because of not seeking the necessary help.

Throughout the rest of this post, I want to share common warning signs of a mental health issue and common symptoms (but some different conditions include other unique symptoms). Before going any further, please understand a mental health condition is not a result of a single event. Research has suggested that multiple bonding causes, genetics, environmental factors, and lifestyles may determine whether an individual develops a mental health condition or not. Those who have a stressful or work life or traumatic events in life can be susceptible to developing a mental health condition. A few takeaways from this so far are if you have a mental health condition, it does not indicate you are broken beyond repair or that you or your family did anything wrong, as there is no one at fault for mental health conditions. Anyone who deals with a mental health condition can live a happy and meaningful life, including but not limited to healthy social, school, and work relationships, which is far more likely to happen with proper treatment.

Mental health professionals are acutely aware of many mental health illnesses and understand each has their own set of unique symptoms. Unfortunately, this can make distinguishing the difference between expected behaviors, behaviors resulting from physical illness causing altered actions and thoughts, or an actual mental illness. There is an abundance of common symptoms for mental health illnesses, which include extreme levels of worry or fear, feeling overly sad, disorderly thinking or difficulties concentrating or learning, drastic mood changes, extended or intense feelings of irritability, evading friends, family, and social interactions, an inability to understand and or relate with others, delusions or hallucinations, overusing substances such as alcohol or drugs, multiple physical ailments without a cause, and suicidal thoughts.

Mental health illnesses can begin during childhood. Young children are still growing and learning ways to communicate and identify their thoughts and emotions, and their signs may vary from adults. The most common and clearly defined mental health signs in children revolve around behavioral issues. Some signs include changes in performance in school, heightened levels of anxiety, hyperactive behavior, increased nightmares, habitual disobedience, aggression, and temper tantrums. These issues are typically more intense than children not getting their way or acting out.

The issues described above are only part of the battle when considering mental illness and the most common symptoms directly related. As a whole, mental health issues are unique, complicated to diagnose, and difficult for the person suffering to understand and accept. Mental health issues are comprised of numerous factors an individual endures. The following symptoms are critical to consider and the ways they may contribute to mental health conditions but may help when deciding on treatment options.

Anosognosia is a neurological condition causing a person to lack awareness of their mental health condition and instead are in denial. They do not have insight into that something with their thought process is not rational. An individual can have moments of clarity, and acknowledge their illness, but their insights shift back and forth.

The risks of suicide and suicidal thoughts can be terrifying, but it is crucial to understand help is available. We may be able to avoid this terrible outcome if we reach out to family and friends occasionally, so they know you are available and care about them. There are several warning signs of suicide, but the following are only a few and include an increase in alcohol and drug usage, aggressive behavior, withdrawal from friends and family, drastic mood swings, and impulsive or reckless behavior. Again, these are only a few signs that scratch the surface, but when a person has suicidal thoughts, they can go far deeper.

Self-harm is not as simple as it sounds and covers a range of different actions. Unfortunately, this is an issue extremely common in adolescents and young adults. One who is causing self-harm is displaying signs of emotional distress and uses pain as a coping mechanism. Self-harm can make an individual feel additional shame on top of how negative they are already feeling about themselves. Self-harm may include frequent cutting or burning, drinking alcohol, or doing drugs. Once the person has caused themselves enough scars, they may start avoiding interactions with others because they are unable to hide their scars.

Approximately 18 million people with a mental illness smoke as a coping mechanism to deal with symptoms or stress from life. Adults with a mental health illness have a higher rate of smoking than someone without a mental illness. The nicotine in cigarettes can temporarily alter moods and distinguishing symptoms, which makes a person consume more cigarettes. Smoking is not only a temporary relief but an unhealthy way to cope as it can cause more negative health consequences.

Substance use disorders is the continuous misuse of alcohol and or drugs. Those experiencing mental health issues may misuse drugs and or alcohol to cope with the overwhelming symptoms they are experiencing. The term for this combination is known as dual diagnosis or co-occurring disorders. The symptoms of a substance abuse disorder may include withdrawing from family and friends, drastic behavioral changes, involving themselves with risky behaviors, development of a high tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, and feeling they need the drugs or alcohol to function in their lives.

Thank you for visiting my site today, and this will be all I will share today. I did not want to provide an overwhelming amount of information because I wanted you to be able to absorb as much as possible before adding the common mental health illnesses. I am working on completing the second part of this post, which will cover the most common mental health illnesses. I feel this information is important because mental health is consistently neglected, and our society has shunned it. We all must make a conscious effort to understand these issues better, so we can attempt to acknowledge when we or someone we know is suffering. There is no way to force someone going through a mental health illness or crisis to get the necessary help, but if we can start by understanding them, we might be a step ahead.

Always, Alyssa

Friday Eve Thoughts

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Positively Alyssa

Why does it seem so many people have an overwhelming desire to own and use guns? Do people think guns are their only option for safety? The sounds guns can make are loud and terrifying. How can this thunderous and piercing sound be enjoyable? Besides being logical and intelligent enough to understand the dangers guns impose, I was traumatized as a child and never overcame my fears. It is crucial for everyone, especially those who own guns, to have a clear and complete understanding of gun safety.

There are still two months left in 2023, and the news has already reported over 500 mass shootings in the United States, which is extremely disturbing and upsetting. Unfortunately, these issues can instill fear in our society and cause people to avoid leaving their homes. Too many innocent people have lost their lives, and families were left behind to pick up the broken pieces because of gun violence. Every other developed country created laws after just one mass shooting and ended unnecessary gun deaths.

Why do these mass shootings continue to occur in the United States? Could the shooters be suffering from mental health issues and have little to no access to treatments? Those who struggle with mental instabilities need professional assistance to be able to live a fulfilled and happy life. There is a very negative stigma surrounding mental health, which may prevent some from admitting and accepting they have a problem and desperately need help. Sadly, the United States does not provide adequate and affordable mental health care to all citizens. Why does it seem impossible to have something so critical to the well-being of everyone offered? I understand healthcare is not free, but mental health should be much more important than it is presently. We can see what happens when mental health is overlooked!

Another massive problem that enables gun violence to continue to happen is the lack of gun laws and policies. When there was a gun violence-related incident in other countries, they took a firm stance and eliminated the problem. How did they do this? The governments in other countries created laws to ban guns and remove guns from the hands of their citizens. Did this eliminate all violent-related situations? Of course, not because when someone wants to cause harm to others, they will find a way. However, even with that said, there have not been any further gun violence situations. When there are over 500 mass shootings in 10 months, should something not be done to put a stop to this?

Unfortunately, we see this daily. Whether this is seen on the news, or we witness it somewhere else, hate-fueled rhetoric is toxic. This type of talk has rapidly become normalized in recent years. However, hate is wrong and NOT a way anyone should act. If I am not mistaken, we are all human beings, and everyone deserves the same respect and rights. Have you ever seen anything good develop from hate? I will assume your answer is no because the only thing I have seen hate do is create animosity and further danger. I believe we can be and do better!

I realize many people will disagree with what I have shared in this post, but I respect your opinions and will appreciate the same respect. Amazingly, people can disagree with one another in a mature, respectful way. Yes, I realize this is uncommon, but it can happen. I do not think everyone in the country should have guns because they are dangerous and deadly. Certain people should have guns, but not the entire population. We are not at war and should stop acting as if we are.

Our daily lives are already crowded with too much stress, demanding work schedules, melancholy circumstances, and the possibility of aggravations from others, both in person and online. Should we not be able to decide we want the best for everyone and learn to accommodate the needs and lives of other people? We should try to live in harmony with others, instead of being at war with others. This might seem like common sense, but we do not need to live in a constant state of war and fear, and we can live a happy and free life. I have worked on this post for several days and was not going to post it because I was afraid of what anyone reading it would think or say, but I remembered that we should be able to share our thoughts, especially ones that are meaningful and important without worrying about backlash and critics.

This post is different from what I normally do on Thursday because it is typically a pick-me-up post, which some might consider it to be. Of course, I know some will disagree and be against everything I have written, and I would love to understand how you are thinking. It is important to try to understand other people, and maybe minds will be changed. I am not trying to change the minds of anyone though because I am a firm believer, that we can think the way we think and there is nothing wrong with that. I hope you have had a good week, and you are looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I have my follow-up appointment with my pain management doctor today and I know it will go well because nothing ever changes. Please never forget I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Thoughts in my mind

Posted on April 30, 2023 by Positively Alyssa

When I was younger, politics was never a topic I had any interest in following. It was not clear to me when and if any politician was being sincere, truthful, or had the best interests of anyone besides themselves in mind. As I have gotten older and slightly less blind or ignorant to the way our political system operates, the only thing that appears crystal clear is the vast majority of our political leaders have forgotten what it means to be honest. It does not matter what the party is, they all have one general thing in common, and it is not the best quality, as it is complete and utter dishonesty.

Political rhetoric has been an overwhelming and toxic predicament in the United States for far too long. These issues should never have escalated to the extreme levels it has over the last several years. It seems unheard, of that, anyone can either agree or at least agree to disagree on many of the HOT topics flooding the country. None of the differences of opinion should create turmoil and animosity, especially among family and friends. Life is too short, and tomorrow is not guaranteed for anyone, so we should avoid disagreements that offer no resolutions and only endanger feelings.

We will always encounter people that have different opinions, and we should not feel like we cannot have a normal and civilized conversation with these people. Chances are, you are already aware of the opinions of your family, friends, and even though it may be forbidden to discuss at work, your co-workers as well. Understanding things like this in advance can help you avoid any topics where a potential debate is inevitable.

I think everyone must understand that there is nothing sinister about being friendly and accepting of those from an opposing political party. It is natural and normal to have beliefs, and even feel strongly about those beliefs. It will not be a surprise to anyone that has read my previous posts, I am not and never will be a supporter of Donald Trump. I do not agree with the way he behaves or his treatment of others, but that is who he is and who I am. I also do not care much for the current President. It is 2023 and we need to learn to be more accepting and not continue to behave the same as many did decades ago. With the years comes change and therefore, I believe we are in dire need of someone younger and more accepting of the changes.

To get away from politics, I have so many questions that I do not believe have answers. Why are people so scared of those that are different? Should people not be free to love, even if they love differently than others do? Why should a woman not be the ONLY one with rights to her body? Why should the government or state have control over a woman’s body? Why in the richest country in the world do we have so many that are homeless? Why in a country that believes they have rights over a woman’s reproductive system, are there so many children without a family, food, or everything else every child deserves? Why, in a country that says they have the best medical schools in the world, does mental health go unnoticed? Why is there limited help for those battling addiction and more opportunities to become addicted? Why in a country with supposedly the topic ranked scientists are cures for diseases not progressing?

I do understand that some people reading this post will not agree with me because of their beliefs, and I can accept that. I can respect others’ beliefs as long as they can respect mine. Even though I do understand, many disagree with abortion, I would like to understand why. If a woman is raped, why should she be forced to keep her rapist’s baby even though adoption can be an option, why should she be forced to carry the baby for 9 very long months? Why should anyone feel shamed for loving someone of the same sex? Who cares, love does not damage anyone else’s life. I have hoped for over 20 years for a cure for Multiple Sclerosis or cancers that have taken people I loved away from me.

I hope you have enjoyed your weekend. Yes, I already know how incredibly short it has been and it is slightly upsetting that the workweek will begin again tomorrow, but maybe the upcoming week will be promising. Next week is going to be a little longer because I have a follow-up appointment with my pain management doctor and I will be working longer days to make up the time I will miss, but I do hope it will be a good week.

Thank you for visiting my site today. Whether you agree or disagree with me, I would still enjoy reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as possible. Today is another rainy day where I live, which always makes my pain my higher. Unfortunately, where I live it rains a lot and I know I just need to deal with it the best way that I can. I hope your last day of the weekend is enjoyable and relaxing. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!