What makes you happy?
Excited
Mental Health
According to the World Health
Organization (WHO), mental health is
“a state of well-being in which the
individual realizes his or her own
abilities, can cope with the normal
stresses of life, can work
productively and fruitfully, and is
able to make a contribution to his
Myth-Mental illness is incurable and lifelong.
or her community”.
“individual realizes his or her own abilities”
Who are you? How do you describe
yourself? What are you different roles?
if you’re no longer
Your strength? Your limitations? Your skills,
talents, potentials???
Your values system? Your hard core?
“can cope with the normal stresses of life”
What makes you upset?
What makes you angry?
What makes you in distress mode? Beast
mode?
stuck in a cycle of depression or anxiety.
What makes you in your Best Mode?
“able to make a contribution to his or her
community”
What is your end goal?
What is the purpose of what you are
doing?
How can your vision about your self will
be materialized?
How can other people benefit from what
you are doing?
Fact-With the right kind of help, treated
appropriately and early, most people recover
fully and have no further episodes of illness.
For others, mental illness may recur
throughout their lives and require ongoing
treatment.
Myth-Only certain types of people develop a
mental illness.
Fact-Everyone is vulnerable to mental health
problems. It affects people regardless of
age, education, income or culture.
Myth-Mental illness is caused by a personal
weakness.
Fact-A mental illness is not a character flaw. It
is caused by a complex interplay of genetic,
biological, social and environmental factors.
Most mental illnesses don’t have a single
cause. Instead they have a variety of
causes, called risk factors.
The more risk factors you have, the
more likely you are to develop a mental
illness. Sometimes, the mental illness
develops gradually. Other times, it
doesn’t appear until a stressful event
triggers it.
Genetics-Mental illnesses sometimes run in
families, suggesting that people who have
a family member with a mental illness may
be somewhat more likely to develop one
themselves.
Environment-Living in a stressful
environment can make you more likely to
develop a mental illness. Things like living in
poverty or having an abusive family put a
lot of stress on your brain and often
trigger mental illness.
Childhood trauma-Even
in a stressful environment, things that
happened to you as a child can have an
impact later in life.
Stressful events-like losing a loved one, or
being in a car accident
Negative thoughts-Constantly putting yourself
down or expecting the worst can get you

 Unhealthy habits: like not getting enough sleep,
or not eating.
Drugs and alcohol: Abusing drugs and alcohol
can trigger a mental illness. It can also make
it harder to recover from mental illness.
Brain chemistry. Mental illness involves an
imbalance of natural chemicals in your brain
and your body.
Illogical thinking — Unusual or exaggerated beliefs
about personal powers to understand meanings or
influence events; illogical or “magical” thinking typical
of childhood in an adult.
Nervousness — Fear or suspiciousness of others or
a strong nervous feeling.
Unusual behavior – Odd, uncharacteristic, peculiar
behavior.
9. Avoid alcohol and other drugs Keep alcohol use to a
minimum and avoid other drugs. Sometimes people use
alcohol and other drugs to "self-medicate" but in
reality, alcohol and other drugs only aggravate
problems.
10. Get help when you need it Seeking help is a sign of
strength — not a weakness. And it is important to
remember that treatment is effective. People who
get appropriate care can recover from mental
illness and addiction and lead full, rewarding lives.

Signs & Symptoms
If several of the following are occurring, it
may useful to follow up with a mental health
professional.
Sleep or appetite changes — Dramatic sleep
and appetite changes or decline in personal
care.
Mood changes — Rapid or dramatic shifts in
emotions or depressed feelings.
Withdrawal — Recent social withdrawal and
loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed.
Drop in functioning — An unusual drop in
functioning, at school, work or social
activities, such as quitting sports, failing in
school or difficulty performing familiar tasks.
Anxiety Disorder
Mood Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive
.1..Value yourself-Treat yourself with kindness and respect,
and avoid self-criticism. Make time for your hobbies and
favorite projects, or broaden your horizons.
In Touch Community 0917 – 800-
2. Take care of your body-Taking care of yourself 1123
physically can improve your mental health.
3. Surround yourself with good people:-People with 0922 – 893- 8944
strong family or social connections are generally healthier HOPE helpline 0917- 558 – 4673
than those who lack a support network.
4. Give yourself-Volunteer your time and energy to help NCMH 0917 – 899- 8727
someone else.
0908 – 639 -2672
5. Learn how to deal with stress-Like it or not, stress is
a part of life. Practice good coping skills: Try One-Minute

Ms. Oj Bagos – 0956 – 842 –

Stress Strategies, exercise, take a nature walk, play with

Problems thinking — Problems with
concentration, memory or logical thought and
speech that are hard to explain.
Increased sensitivity — Heightened sensitivity to
sights, sounds, smells or touch; avoidance of
over-stimulating situations.
Apathy — Loss of initiative or desire to
participate in any activity.
your pet or try journal writing as a stress reducer.
6. Quiet your mind-Try meditating, mindfulness and/or
8588 ( 9am – 4pm M-F)
prayer. Relaxation exercises and prayer can improve
ojbagos@yahoo.comfbmesse
your state of mind and outlook on life.
7. Set realistic goals-Decide what you want to achieve nger account
academically, professionally and personally, and write down
the steps you need to realize your goals. Aim high, but be
realistic and don't over-schedule.
8. Break up the monotony-Although our routines make us

Feeling disconnected — A vague feeling of more efficient and enhance our feelings of security and
being disconnected from oneself or one’s safety, a little change of pace can perk up a tedious
schedule.
surroundings; a sense of unreality.