Mental Health Awareness Week;

Today is Day 1 of Mental Health Awareness Week.

In this post we are going to define and talking about mental health and why it's important. When I started my blog, I didn't realize that Mental Health Awareness Week was this week (oct 3-9) but it is the perfect chance for me to get my blog started.

let's start off by defining mental health.

according to the World Health Organization mental health is "a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community."

mental health is part of being human. it depends on the person to decide how to handle it and keep it positive.

most common types of mental health illnesses: (also called mental disorders)

• clinical depression---A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.

• anxiety disorder---A mental health disorder characterized by feelings of worry, anxiety, or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities

• bipolar disorder---A disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.

• dementia---A group of thinking and social symptoms that interferes with daily functioning.

• ADHD---A chronic condition including attention difficulty, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

• schizophrenia---A disorder that affects a person's ability to think, feel, and behave clearly.

• ODC---Excessive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

• autism---Refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.

• PTSD---A disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.

(all definitions pulled from google)

1 in 5 adults suffer from some sort of mental health issue. and these are just the diagnosed cases. many cases go undiagnosed, especially those who cannot afford to get help. throughout this week, I am going to continue to post some blogs about how to identify mental health disorders and how to get help if you are dealing with one or many.

just remember, you're not alone in this. the worst thing to do is to keep your thoughts to yourself. the world is made up of some scary places, but don't let your mind be one of those places. my goal in this blog is to help you become okay with yourself and find you help if you need it. and to teach you not to beat yourself up over things that you can't control. you body is what will carry you through and your mind one of the most important parts of your body, second to your heart.

together we will learn to be kind to our minds and know that we are worth it.

I hope this helped someone that's going through it.

keep your heads up!

xx Loryn