Mental Health Talk

On 6th November 2019, all of the student from Faculty of Resource Science and Technology (FRST) have to attend a talk about "Mental Health Awareness and Stress Management" given by Dr. Chen Yoke Yong at CTF1.

Mental health refers to a person emotional and psychological well-being. Having good mental health will lead to a relatively happy and healthy life. Meanwhile, mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions that affect your mood, thinking and behavior. Examples of mental illness include depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behaviors. Some people experience serious health problems, and their poor health has a very negative impact on their life. A mental illness can make a person life miserable and can cause problems in their daily life, such as at school or work or in relationships.

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Good mental health is usually capable of rational thought, experiencing and behaving in the manner you need and want to live your life but if you go through a phase of poor mental health, you might find it difficult, or even hard, to deal with the things you sometimes think, behave or respond. Your mental health can be influenced by a variety of factors, including life events or even your genetics.

There are many strategies that can help you establish and keep good mental health. These can include:

🍀keeping a positive attitude

🍀staying physically active

🍀helping other people

🍀getting enough sleep

🍀eating a healthy diet

🍀asking for professional help with your mental health if you need it

🍀socializing with people whom you enjoy spending time with

🍀forming and using effective coping skills to deal with your problems

Signs and symptoms of mental illness can vary, depending on the disorder, circumstances and other factors. Mental illness symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Each illness has its own symptoms, but common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents can include the following:

🌻not eating enough or overeating

🌻having insomnia or sleeping too much

🌻distancing yourself from other people and favorite activities

🌻feeling fatigue even with enough sleep

🌻feeling numbness or lacking empathy

🌻experiencing unexplainable body pains or achiness

🌻feeling hopeless, helpless or lost

🌻smoking, drinking, or using illicit drugs more than ever before

🌻feeling confusion, forgetfulness, irritability, anger, anxiety, sadness, or fright

🌻constantly fighting or arguing with friends and family

🌻having extreme mood swings that cause relationship problems

🌻having constant flashbacks or thoughts that you can’t get out of your head

🌻hearing voices in your head that you can’t stop

🌻having thoughts of hurting yourself or other people

🌻being unable to carry out day-to-day activities and chores

Mental Health Diagnosis

Diagnosing a mental health disorder is a multi-step process. During a first appointment, your doctor may perform a physical exam to look for signs of physical issues that could be contributing to your symptoms.Some doctors may order a series of laboratory tests to screen for underlying or less obvious possible causes. Then, your doctor may ask you to fill out a mental health questionnaire and you may also undergo a psychological evaluation. However, you might not have a diagnosis after your first appointment. After all the test, your doctor may refer you to a mental health expert. This is because mental health can be complex and symptoms may vary from person to person, it may take a few appointments for you to get a full diagnosis.

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When you talk with your doctor or therapist about your mental health, they may go through a series of examinations in order to reach a diagnosis. These steps could include a physical examination, blood or laboratory tests, and a mental health questionnaire. A series of questions helps doctors understand your thoughts, responses, and reactions to events and scenarios. While this test won’t return immediate results, it will help your doctor better understand what you’re experiencing. Please avoid taking online mental health tests. While these may provide some insight into causes of symptoms, they aren’t administered by a healthcare professional. The questions and answer options may not be as specific as a doctor or therapist might be in an in-person testing environment.

Suicidal Thoughts?

If you have a suicidal thoughts and you have a tendency to hurt yourself, get help right away:

⛧Call 999 or your local emergency number immediately

⛧Call your mental health specialist

⛧Call a suicide hotline number. In Malaysia, call the Befrienders Malaysia at 603-79568145

⛧Seek help from your primary care provider

⛧Reach out to a close friend or loved one

⛧Contact a minister, spiritual leader or someone else in your faith community

Suicidal thinking doesn't get better on its own. Please get help as soon as possible.

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If your loved one shows signs of mental illness, have an open and honest discussion with him or her about your concerns. You may not be able to force someone to receive medical care, but you may be able to offer encouragement and support. You can also encourage a loved one to find and make an appointment with a registered mental health professional. You may as well go with the appointment.