Living with a mental health condition

There are lots of different types of mental health conditions which all affect people in many ways. People with mental health conditions have to learn to live and cope with this situation.

Types of mental health conditions

Some people live with depression – this robs them of their joy and social stability. There are different types of depression such as clinical depression, bipolar, melancholic depression, seasonal depression and many more. People with depression can lose interest in things such as hobbies or going to places.

Some people have borderline personality disorder and they can have unstable relationships with other people. People living with schizophrenia can have symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations.

Another type of mental health problems are anxiety 😥 and social anxiety 😟.

People with mental health conditions are sometimes treated with something called cognitive behavioural therapy. This is a type of talking therapy that can help people change the way they think about things.

Addiction

People who have an addiction can get unhealthy attachments to items, substances or certain behaviours. They sometimes become dependent on the item or behaviour.

There are many different types of addiction like gambling. Psychological addiction means that the person is emotionally attached to an object of mental desire – they long for it. People might have withdrawal symptoms if they are not using or doing something they have become dependent on or addicted to.

Addiction is obsessive and can cause harm on a daily basis. There are many forms of treatment for addiction such as rehab facilities. 

Phobias 

A phobia can be the fear 😧 of an object or animal 🦔. Phobias might have an effect on a person’s life, like if someone is scared 😳 of heights or 🐍 snakes. Agoraphobia is the fear 😧 of open spaces or public places – this is not always easy to avoid. Enochlophobia is being uncomfortable 😳 in crowds of people, in one 1️⃣ room or in public areas. 

How I deal with phobias 

I have a phobia of dogs, balloons 🎈 and fireworks 💥. I have intense anxiety 😟 when dogs get near me. Everytime a dog 🐶 walks past me in the park, I get nervous 😟. It makes me panic. I have a thought pattern – as the dog 🐶 gets closer, I think 🤔 ‘it will bite me’. This is not true. It walks by me following the owner. Sometimes when I encounter a dog 🐕 walking closer to me, I count to ten as it moves away. If it starts barking at me, I try to take deep breaths.

It is the same with fireworks 💥. I will go home 🏠 to my flat and put on some calming music to relax. This calms down any anxiety 😥 or worries.

This may not cure your issue of mental health problems but it can make you feel better 😘 in the long run.

Coping strategies 

There are lots of different ways to manage and deal with mental health such as box breathing and self-soothing like listening to calming sounds such as nature or birds 🦅.

Some people might like listening to classical music 🎵. If someone has an outburst or mood swings, this can make you feel better. Someone can have a teddy bear 🧸 to make them feel comfort. Another coping strategy is called graded exposure. This is a type of therapy that helps people with simple phobias and it is a way of treating a range of anxiety 😟 problems.

If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, please see our list of non-emergency support helplines.

(Images made with Photosymbols.)