7 Reasons why mental health should be given the same importance as physical health

In our society today, everyone talks about their physical health. It's always important to mind what you eat, where you go, and how you stress so that it does not affect your body. Everyone is advising you to go for bodily checkups monthly. While your physical health is essential, everyone tends to forget how crucial our mental health is to our daily life, and how quickly things can go south when it's not taken care of. In this article, we will discuss seven reasons why you should give your mental health the same level of importance as your physical health.

The Mind-Body Relationship

Embracing mindfulness in the serenity of nature (tCaPC)

Have you ever thought about the pain and felt it, or assumed the worst about a particular body situation, but it is just a minor dent? Have you thought about going to the toilet, and in the next three minutes, you want to go to the toilet? The mind is a direct line of sight to the body. It can give the body strength and also pull it down at a faster rate. When the mind is not right, the body becomes collateral damage because the mind does not consider it at the moment. For instance, thinking a lot or stressing out about something can lead to physical issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, and even stroke. On the other hand, physical issues can also affect the mind and compound mental health conditions.

Business Factors

When an employee is not in the right state of mind and nothing is being done to address the elephant in the room, businesses can have significant economic consequences. Mental health issues directly contribute to decreased productivity, defects, absenteeism, and high costs of health services. Statistics have shown that the global market loses $1 trillion annually due to anxiety and depression alone. So, have your employees go for therapy sessions and allow them to take breaks because there is nothing more damaging to a business than when the employees are not happy at their jobs.

Increasing Rate Of Mental Health Issues

In the last few years, mental health conditions across the world have seen a significant increase. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one in four people has or will be affected by a mental condition at one point in their lives. Now, many children are diagnosed with various mental conditions, even the ones you've probably not heard of. This is why mental health care should be prioritized and not made to disappear in the shadows. Organizations, institutions, and individuals across the globe should create awareness and spread the word about mental health conditions.

Experiencing stress and anxiety (tCaPC)

Early Diagnosis and Management

Just like physical health, early mental health diagnosis helps to reduce or flatline future symptoms because you can pick out a treatment plan and start working on it before unwanted symptoms spring up. For instance, if a trigger from your childhood trauma makes you behave violently, you can try therapy to understand and cope with your trauma, so that you manage your reaction to triggers. Participating in mental health treatments, especially when your symptoms have not fully developed would go a long way in curbing the long-term effects associated with that condition.

Suicide Prevention

While some physical defects can be fatal, even when in the hospital, chronic mental health conditions or symptoms can also lead to death. For instance, chronic depression becomes deadly when a person stops seeing the need to exist. When a victim does not enjoy waking up or going out to face the world and nobody is paying attention, it will not be long before they take their lives. Severe mental health conditions like schizophrenia and chronic borderline personality disorder can also be fatal if not attended to, not just to the victims, but to those around them. This is why every mental health condition should be treated with sensitivity and priority.

Reducing Stigmatization

Mental Health is still a touchy topic in various societies across the world. Although the United States has raised the bar of creating awareness, there is still a lot more to be done. People should be able to talk about their feelings at any moment so that they can get help if they need it. Individuals should be able to share their struggles without condemnation so that they can have verbal support and motivation to get help. Mental Health is real and it should be taken seriously to avoid Stigmatization. Condemning people with these conditions can drive them to their early graves.

Building A Healthy Society

Supportive group therapy session for mental health (tCaPC)

A society can only progress when people are healthy and don't have to worry about what other people are thinking. When mental health conditions are also prioritized, unnecessary incidents can be prevented because people would make more reflective and rational decisions. When mental health is prioritized, society will be well-grounded for community development and business development. Everybody would be each other's support system. When the government and the citizens also prioritize mental health, there would be reduced crime rates and closely-knit communities and the society would be one of a kind.

Conclusion

Mental health is as important as your physical health because you would not function effectively if any one of them is defective. One should not lie in the shadow of the other. When we prioritize our mental health, we improve our quality of life, increase economic productivity, restore the original purpose of life, and build healthier communities. We set a standard for future generations to understand that it is okay to speak up. Tell someone about the importance of mental health care today.