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According to the World Health Organization (WHO) a significant portion of the global population is affected by serious mental illness. Shockingly, an estimated 1 in 4 people around the world will experience a mental or neurological disorder at some point in their lives. It's important to note that faith in God does not prevent mental illnesses.
Unfortunately, many Christians tend to dismiss mental health needs and/or view them solely as a spiritual problem. This can prevent people from recognizing and addressing the core issue. However, the alarming statistics on mental illnesses in recent years suggest that a change in perspective is necessary. We need to increase awareness of the importance of mental health. In this post, we'll discuss various aspects of mental health and mental illnesses with the goal of helping more people approach them in a productive and positive way.
What Is Mental Health?
Mental health is a state of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Our mental health affects the way we feel, think, and act.
It also impacts how we manage stress, how we interact with people, and how we make decisions. It's an extremely important aspect of every season in our lives.
There are many signs you can look out for to spot a decline in mental health, we will be discussing those further down in this post.
Why Is Mental Health Important?
As mentioned above, your mental health is a vital part of your well-being. When on a decline it can seep in and affect multiple areas of your life.
Here are a few ways mental health can affect your life: 
Mental Health Affects Your Spiritual Health
One of the reasons many Christians believe that depression and anxiety are spiritual problems is because mental health does in fact affect your spiritual health.
When you are experiencing mental health problems, you struggle to see the goodness of God even when it's right in front of you. You often feel too apathetic to pray for anything. You also begin to isolate yourself and therefore stray away from the Christian community. All of which can have a negative impact on your spiritual health.
Mental Health Affects Your Physical Health
Mental health is an integral part of human life and has been shown to have a major effect on physical health.
People struggling with mental illness have a hard time doing physical activities. Many do not have the motivation to exercise nor the will to do other physically demanding tasks.
Over and above the lack of motivation and depending on the type of mental illness, people can feel physically ill as well. An increased heartbeat, dizziness, trembling, and rapid breathing are all symptoms of anxiety attacks - which is a mental illness.
Mental Health Affects Your Social Life and Relationships
When struggling with your mental health you have no will to go out and talk to others. You prefer to stay home, isolated, and alone.
You may also have a lot of mood swings that affect the way you interact with others. This could also affect your existing relationships as people start to feel like you’re not the person they once knew.
What Are Risk Factors That Influence Mental Health?
Now that we know how mental health can be a huge issue in our lives. It's important to identify the factors that influence it.
Mental health conditions can vary in their symptoms and severity, but they all have one thing in common. They are all caused by a combination of biological, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
Here are a few of the common factors that can negatively influence your mental health:
Neglect
Trauma
Isolation
Loneliness
Grief
Long-term illnesses
Social barriers/disadvantages
Unemployment
Poverty or debt
Broken relationships
A dysfunctional home/family
Childhood abuse
Domestic violence
Biology
Genetics
Lifestyle choices such as a poor diet or alcohol abuse
These are just some of the most common risk factors that could lead to mental health problems. However, it is important to note most people do not develop a mental health condition despite exposure to a risk factor and many people with no known risk factor still develop a mental health condition.
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What Are the Most Common Mental Health Conditions?
There are hundreds of mental health conditions with some being more widespread than others. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental disorders in the United States. Anxiety actually affects 40 million adults in our country and although that number is staggering, it is more shocking that less than 37% of those people seek treatment.
Although anxiety is the most common, there are a few other common mental health illnesses which include depression, panic disorders, PTSD, OCD, and eating disorders.
What are the Benefits Of Taking Care Of Our Mental Health?
When our mental health is compromised, it can cause negative behaviors that not only affect personal health but can also lead to a strain on our relationships with others.
For these reasons, it's important to continuously take care of our mental health.
There are actually tons of benefits associated with taking care of our mental health but here are some of the most significant:
A Stronger Ability To Cope With Stress
Life is going to be stressful; no one gets through it without pain or problems. However, when you're constantly taking care of your mental health, that stress becomes much easier to cope with.
Healthier Relationships
Have you heard the saying 'you can't pour from an empty cup'? That saying makes a lot of sense in this context. People who struggle with mental illness have a harder time pouring into their relationships. However, when we take care of our mental health it makes it easier to be there for and with others.
A More Positive Self Image
When struggling with mental illness, a lot of people start to develop a negative self-image. This is far from what God wants for His children, we are created in His image. A person who takes care of their mental health is more confident in this fact.
More Productive Days
Dealing with mental illness like depression can make it difficult for us to perform everyday tasks. This makes us less productive in the long run. People who take care of their mental health are more likely to work more consistently and deliver a higher quality of work.
A Higher Quality of Life
Your quality of life improves as your mental health does. When you take care of your mental health you have a greater zest for life. You want to see more, do more, laugh more, and love more. You also become much closer to God because you can see His love and goodness in your life as you go through each day.
How To Improve Mental Health?
Mental health problems, no matter how severe, can always be improved. So if you now see the importance of mental health and you're wondering how to improve it, here are a few ways to do just that:
Pray daily
Read your Bible
Exercise regularly
Meditate
Learn coping skills
Talk to your loved ones
Try to maintain a positive outlook on life
These are just a few of the many ways you can improve your mental health. If you think you've tried everything and nothing has worked, please seek mental health services from a trusted professional. A therapist will help you figure things out and fix them.
Why Should We Spread Mental Health Awareness?
The world has been aware of the importance of physical health for years. And although some people don't make their physical health a priority, most people do. This is all thanks to the awareness of its importance. Mental health should be given the same consideration because it is just as important for our lives and well-being.
Spreading mental health awareness and taking a proactive approach toward it will also work to remove the stigma surrounding it in our society. People will start understanding that it's a real problem that needs real solutions. They will start trying to help much more and the shame associated with it will begin to disappear. Once this happens people will be more comfortable reaching out for the help they need, when they need it.
Another major benefit of spreading awareness for mental health is the fact that more people will be aware of the signs and symptoms they should look out for. This, in turn, will lead to quicker diagnosis and treatment for all.
Final Thoughts on Why Mental Health is Important
Even though the struggle with mental health is real and hard. Know that God is with you, He will not leave you in a pit. You will not faint away, and your prayers will reach Him just like Jonah's did.
Then His intervention combined with your actions will make you well again. You only need to believe, be informed, and take action for your mental health to improve.
Before you leave, we would appreciate it if you helped us spread the word by sharing, tweeting, pinning, etc. this post.
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About the Author:
Corine Williams, Ph.D. is Clinical Psychologist that is currently seeing clients in the States of Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. You can find out more about her practice by visiting www.therapyforchristians.com/corinewilliams. In addition to providing individual therapy, Dr. Williams is also passionate about writing books and designing merchandise that educate, uplift, and normalize mental health subject in the Christian community. You can find out more about her at www.booksbycorine.com or by visiting her amazon profile here: https://www.amazon.com/Corine-Hyman/e/B00AWZ5FL2
Help us increase mental health awareness in the Christian community by donating through our paypal link here: www.paypal.com/therapyforchristians, joining our mailing list by clicking below, or join our provider list here: Provider listing
Disclaimer: the information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this article are for informational purposes only. No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are looking for a Christian counselor near you, please check out our directory located here: Christians Therapist Near Me
