What is the importance of mental health?
The constitution of human beings is quite wonderful and unique. It has two main aspects-physical and mental aspects. Of course, we are able to move and carry out numerous activities and perform the day-to-day tasks in personal and professional life only due to physical aspect. That is why utmost importance is paid to the good health and overall well-being of the physical aspect of the human body. At the same time, it is also true that mental aspect of the human body can’t be ignored in any ways.
In fact, it is an established and proven fact that both physical and mental aspect of the human body work in close sync with each other. The body functions are greatly controlled by the mental aspect. It is the nervous system that controls all the body functions and gives directions to various body parts and organs to carry out various activities or perform various functions. In simple words, good health and normal body functions can be ensured only if the mental aspect of the body is also in good health and condition.
What mental health is?
As per medical science, mental health refers to the level of psychological well-being in any person. In other words, any person can be said to be mentally healthy if there is total absence of any of the mental diseases or disorders. Persons who enjoy good mental health are quite good at responding to and adapting to various levels of emotional and behavioural adjustment. To conclude mental health is related to the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of any person. Mental health affects how a person feels, thinks and acts. Any person that can handle various types of situations in life in an easy and effective manner without getting upset can said to be mentally healthy. Irrespective of age and gender, it is important for any person to enjoy good mental well-being in order to ensure good health of the entire body.
What factors affect mental health?
There are certain factors that affect the mental health of any person. The major factors out of these are as follows.
- Family history of the disease
- Certain types of adverse life experiences like trauma or abuse
- Biological factors like genes or brain chemistry may also affect mental health
- Childhood abuse is a major factor that affects mental health badly
- Being in isolation or being alone for long time
- Prolonged physical illness
- Constant and chronic stress
- Loss of someone close to you
- Financial issues
- Domestic violence in some cases is also a chief culprit for mental health
What are some early warning signs of problems in mental health?
People who suffer from mental health problems or are on the verge of getting affected by it may start experiencing some common warning signs as listed below.
- Change in eating habits
- Change in sleeping patterns
- Keen desire to isolate oneself from the society
- Lack of body energy
- Sudden or unexplained pains or aches in the body
- State of total hopelessness or helplessness
- Getting engaged in smoking or drinking excessively
- State of mental confusion
- Mood swings that may result in problems with personal relationships with family or friends
- State of forgetfulness
- Constantly thinking about useless things
- Hearing voices or believing things that are actually not present
- Disinterestedness in routine life and activities
- Loss of self-confidence and self-esteem
Anyone who starts experiencing any of these warning signs of mental health issues must take help from healthcare experts in the relevant field.
Ayurvedic stance on mental health problems
Like the physical health and well-being, the mental health of a person is also greatly affected by the dominance of various doshas in the human body. It means disturbance in any of the three doshas in the human body leads to problems in mental health too. As per ayurveda, rajas and tamas doshas are primarily the main culprits of the mental illness. Any person who has satva state of mind is said to be absolutely healthy in terms of mental aspect of his/her body. Hence ayurveda focuses on retaining healthy balance amidst three body doshas for overall good health in all respects.
Ayurvedic therapies for management of mental health issues
Anyone who has fallen prey to mental health issues may take help from the ayurvedic therapies that are offered at clinics like Nidanam Wellness Clinic and similar others around so as to enjoy overall mental well-being in a totally safe and natural manner. Some therapies that are used by the ayurvedic healthcare practitioners are as follows.
Abhyanga
Full body massage offered to the patients with the use of herbal or medicated oils helps in relaxing down the mind of any negative mental states such as stress, anxiety and tension. It is all due to improved blood flow to the cells and tissues of mind that help in offering mental peace and relaxation.
Padabhyanga
Though this therapy involves massaging the foot however it has a great positive impact on the mind too. It is because the vital points on the feet are pressed so as to stimulate the nerves and cells in the brain. This in turn helps in boosting the mood of the patients.
Nasyam
Medicine is administered through nasal cavity to the patients. This medicine reaches the brain for providing great relaxation from the stressful mental state and improving the mood and the emotions of the person.
Shirodhara
It includes Abhyanga and helps in offering a soothing effect to the hypothalamus. The brain nerves are also relaxed and mind experiences calmness and serenity in natural manners. At the same time, it also helps in normalizing and regularizing the functions of pituitary gland which in turn is good for mental health.
Ksheerdhara
It includes Shiroabhyangam and involves pouring of medicated buttermilk on the patients’ body. The cooling and relaxing effect offered by the buttermilk on body and mind helps patients to feel better automatically.
Mental health problems can be very well tackled and managed in a natural and safe way by opting for the natural and herbal therapies advocated by the ayurvedic medicine world.