Written by: Daniell D. Ukaj, clinical psychologist
We talk and know many facts about physical health and diseases that endanger a person, and how they threaten his life, or make it difficult for him, making him go through moments of pain and dissatisfaction. But, we know less and consider mental health, remaining something unknown, unidentified, we risk experiencing it but without knowing what it is that we are facing. Thus, we can go through difficult psychological periods, of sadness and pain, but without understanding what it is, where it comes from and then how to treat it. Here it should be mentioned that physical pain is not separated from psychological pain, they sometimes use each other to manifest their presence. It happens that we find that we suffer from a physical pain, such as continuous stomach pain, but medical evidence does not indicate such a problem, and there may be other stress factors that cause this pain. Or it happens that people often suspect heart attacks, their whole body becoming alarmed, they feel chest pain, sweaty hands, strong heartbeats, shortness of breath, where they rightly urgently seek a doctor, but when they are there and after examinations, the evidence shows that
we are not dealing with heart problems. So, we are dealing again with a difficult psychological, spiritual experience that manifests itself through our body, that is, a panic attack. Also other symptoms such as physical fatigue, low energy and other physical symptoms, can be alarms to indicate the presence of psychological concerns, and for this reason it is very important to have information about mental health, what it is, and then how to take care of mental health. I also want to mention that
and they affect or there are moments that become a factor for each other, health problems increase the risk of mental problems and vice versa mental problems become a cause of physical or health problems. As is known, the connection of depression with heart disease and diabetes. Here I want to emphasize that we should not underestimate the physical symptoms, as well as visits to the doctor for any discomfort that we feel in our body, but I want to emphasize that we should also consider mental health, taking care of it, knowing how it manifests itself, and seeking help, just like seeking help for other health services.
So, mental health is a universal human right, as a right that we must recognize and use, and as a right that must be sought. As well as a right that must be offered by the state and institutions, which unfortunately does not happen everywhere in Kosovo. It must also be borne in mind that mental health is much more complex than physical illnesses, and that mental health problems are experienced differently by each of us, by different factors, by different stressors, by different experiences, by different environments, by different events, by different potentials.
What is mental health?
Mental health encompasses our psychological, emotional, and social well-being. It affects the way we think, feel, and act. It also determines how we manage stress, how we relate and interact with others, and how we make our choices in life. So, mental health affects many different aspects of our lives, our daily lives, our functioning or non-functioning.
Even the World Health Organization defines mental health as ''A state of mental well-being that enables us to cope with the stresses of life, to realize our potential, to learn and work as best we can, and to contribute to our community.'' So the main component of mental health is well-being. And for more than that, mental health is more than the absence of a mental disorder or disability. Which means that for a person, good psychological health is not the absence of a disorder, but his progress or search for a well-being of mental health and his search for happiness, for fulfillment. His ability to enjoy life.
And mental health, in addition to directly affecting the individual, also affects others, the family and the community, therefore it should be emphasized that maintaining and restoring mental health is essential for both the individual and the community and society. Because recognizing the importance of mental health is not only a matter of our personal well-being, but it is a social concern because mental health affects the individual, family, society, the workplace, and it can lead to consequences that go beyond a person.
What defines mental health?
Mental health problems have a wide range of causes or factors. And for each individual there may be different reasons that affect their mental health, and also the same situation may be experienced with different intensities by different people. Therefore, the reasons that lead to a mental problem are often complex and unique, what is a situation that causes psychological stress for one, does not necessarily cause it for another, and what may be a normal psychological situation for one may not be so for another. Therefore, in addition to respecting the experiences of everyone, we should not take them as weaknesses and ridicule them. However, there are also some general factors, general situations that can and do threaten a person's mental health, such as: painful experiences that a person may go through during their life, such as trauma and abuse, whether physical, sexual, psychological or emotional, loss of a loved one or family member, violence, unequal treatment, stress at work, poverty, environmental circumstances, war, underestimation, constant harassment or bullying, chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes or any other disease, biological factors, alcohol or drug abuse, various psychological or physiological addictions, feelings of guilt, loneliness or isolation, family dynamics, divorce, unhealthy relationships, lack of success or achievement, malnutrition, insomnia and other factors like these, can initiate the emergence of a psychological difficulty in the individual, thus threatening his mental health. And thus directing it towards mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, panic attacks, concentration problems, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders, self-harming behavior, and even suicidal behavior or suicide. So the earlier the identification, the easier the intervention, and the less the damage. It should not be
We forget that an individual can be at risk at any stage of their development, affected by mental health problems, but there are some more sensitive stages, more fragile for the development of mental problems, such as early childhood, which is a defining period for good or bad mental health in the future. For example, rude, harsh and physically punitive parenting is known to have a negative impact on a child's health, and bullying is also known as a risk factor for the development of psychological problems in a child.
But, in addition to risk factors for developing psychological problems, similarly throughout our lives we can also develop protective factors, which will help us strengthen resilience, or the ability to cope with difficult situations that life brings, and to be more psychologically mature so that when psychological difficulties arise, we have the capacity to overcome or cope with them more easily. And these factors include our psychological, social, emotional and biological attributes, but a significant part of these capacities are built through interaction with others, starting from the family through appropriate care, appropriate support, appropriate assessment, provision of love and fulfillment of needs, continuing with positive interactions in the family and with others, continuing with an appropriate environment that allows us a quality education, decent conditions and decent work, a safe place without conflicts and violence in which we live, safe neighborhoods, harmony with the community and others, space to express ourselves and our talents, and other positive things like these. There are some elements or factors that increase our capacities, and help us to cope with difficulties more easily than another group that lacks these protective factors, and for whom psychological well-being is more difficult. So, throughout our lives, various individual, social, biological, natural, and environmental determinants can combine to protect or threaten our mental health, and to determine its continuation. As we see, all people can have a story, an event, a period of difficulty, a loss, a moment where they experience a psychological challenge, and no one is exempt from the pain that can lead to mental health problems, whether they have a higher status or not, whether they are rich or poor, whether they have a profession or not, everyone, without exception, can be affected by mental health problems, and studies show that 1 in 5 people suffer from a psychological problem, but most of the time, out of fear of talking about these problems, out of fear of asking for help, out of prejudice, out of a lack of professionals, we suffer these problems in silence, and we suffer them in solitude, withdrawing so that no one sees us, we close ourselves off and thus only become more burdened and risk losing the meaning of life, and risk not enjoying it, thus leading us to fatal danger, thinking about suicide, planning it or unfortunately even committing it.
And statistics show a large number of suicides in the world, about 840.000 in a year. They are people who live among us, with us, who suffer without showing or having anyone to help or understand them. And we must never forget that our emotions are changeable, if we are going through a difficult moment now this is not a permanent fact, we must give ourselves time, hope to ourselves, courage to ourselves and also we must not be ashamed or afraid to talk about our emotions, our difficulties, and to seek professional help from a psychologist who will help us see new perspectives, and win against difficulties. Do not forget that many times it is okay to not be okay.
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