Chapter 2 shifts focus to psychological health. Psychological health concerns the way we think, feel, relate, and exist in our day-to-day lives. The chapter introduces Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, working from the bottom up from survival needs, to security needs, to social needs, to esteem needs, all the way up to self-actualization.
Psychological health is broken down into mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. Mental health describes the way we think, emotional health describes the way we feel, social health describes our interactions with others, and spiritual health refers to a sense of belonging to something greater than just a physical world. Our psychological health can be influenced by many environmental factors such as family, support systems, and community. To better our psychological health we need to develop these support systems. We also need to form realistic expectations and goals for ourselves. Making time for ourselves and maintaining our physical health can also enhance our psychological health along with somethings as simple as getting enough sleep. All of these things are completely in our control, which means that we have a good amount of power over our psychological health.
Spiritual health does not necessarily refer to religious beliefs. Elements of spiritual health are relationships, values, and a sense of purpose in life. Maintaining spiritual health carries many physical benefits such as decreasing anxiety and depression, alcohol and drug abuse, blood pressure and risk of heart disease, increasing ability to cope with life’s challenges, and increases feelings of hope and optimism and overall satisfaction with life. The chapter also offers strategies to hone your spiritual health. Drawing attention into yourself through mindfulness, meditation, or prayer can promote spiritual health. Training your body and expanding your mind can have the same effects. Sometimes, when we cannot work alone, it becomes necessary to reach out to others. Having a healthy support system is important.
Psychological health is not always perfect. Everyone faces struggles with stress, anxiety, loneliness, financial challenges, and other traumatic events. “Thinking positive” is not always a fix. Mental illness disrupts thinking, feelings, moods and behaviors resulting in difficulties in day to day life. These illnesses plague about 20% of Americans 18 and older, and are the leading cause of disability for people aged 15 to 44. Anxiety disorders are the top problem in this category, affecting over 21% of people aged 18 to 64. Common anxiety disorders discussed in the chapter are generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobic disorder, social anxiety disorder, OCD, and PTSD. All of these can be caused by biology, environment, and social and cultural roles. Chronic mood disorders affect how you feel at any given moment. About 10% of Americans 18 and older suffer from a mood disorder. Common mood disorders are major depression, dysthymic disorder, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder. Major depression, being the most common mood disorder, affects about 8% of the American population. We all have heard of seasonal depression; reduced exposure to sunlight can cause a feeling of depression, which is why our moods tend to be worse during winter weather, or even on days when it rains. These disorders can also be caused by hormones, inherited traits, life events, or trauma, and do not look the same in everyone. They manifest differently across gender, age, and ethnicity. Other psychological disorders discussed in the chapter include personality disorders, schizophrenia, and learning disabilities and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia, and autism. Psychological health changes as we age. Depression is the most common among older adults. Dementia also affects the older crowd. It is used to describe the progressive forms of brain malfunctioning causing forgetfulness and delusion. Two disorders associated with loss are bereavement and grief.
When psychological problems become too much to handle, suicide becomes a factor. This is a concern for people our age, as suicide is the leading cause of death on college campuses. It is important to identify and acknowledge warning signs of suicide, so it is great that the chapter lists some of them. The list is long, but some signs include a history of depression, change in personality or behavior, change in sleeping or eating habits, and focus on themes of death. If you see any of these markers in yourself or someone you know, preventing suicide is the next step. Monitor these signals, take them seriously and don’t belittle the situation, ask questions, propose solutions, and talk to someone. Seeking professional health is one of the strongest things a person can do. You need to think about different types of mental health professionals, be prepared for what therapy will bring, and accept any pharmacological treatment that may be proposed. Types of therapy that can be useful are counseling and mindfulness therapies. Counseling can be done through individual, group, dynamic, interpersonal, or cognitive therapy. Mindfulness therapies include mindfulness-based stress reduction, or MBSR, and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Seeking and accepting help can be extremely difficult. This chapter struck a couple chords with me. For the past year and a half, I have been struggling with depression. It is all consuming and impacts every area of my life. It is the reason why these posts are so late, and it is the reason that I am stressed beyond reason every day of my life. Some days it seems near impossible to get out of bed, and others I feel almost normal. Illnesses that are not plainly visible are hard for some to accept. People see blood and they think pain, but nobody can see feelings. It is important for us to acknowledge people’s pain even when we can’t see it. Support and acknowledgment are so powerful and underrated. Focusing on my goal for this semester has been helpful. I have made significant progress in increasing my muscle mass and seeing results is encouraging. It has been something to give me purpose.
Meghan's Health and Wellness Studies 