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mental health is a form of mental well-being that allows us to handle different events in life. good mental health enables us to go about our daily lives, making our own decisions and forming connections with others. mental health issues can vary from person to person with different types and different severity.

the term mental health was previously known as 'mental illness' however in a movement to end the stigma around people who suffered with mental disorders this was stopped and we began using 'mental health'. by using this new and improved term, people don't feel as though they are helpless and it focuses on the idea that we have to take care of our mental well-being in the same way we would our physical well-being. for example, if an individual had the flu they would take medication and rest for a while until they felt physically better and this is a similar thing to what we should be doing with our mental state depending on how we feel.

when talking about mental health, society should ensure they are sensitive about the language they use towards people who suffer from mental health issues as well as mental health in general. for example, people who have schizophrenia can sometimes be named as 'crazy' or 'psycho' when this in fact is not the case and can cause a detrimental effect to someones emotions especially if they are already going through a tough time. many people will use phrases such as 'that's depressing' and 'he's so OCD' without realizing the extent of these conditions and the day-to-day struggles some people with the conditions have to go through.

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schizophrenia is a mental health issue that is linked to psychosis.

there are different causes of this disorder including trauma due to stressful life events, the use of drugs and alcohol will increase the chance too. biological factors also play a part and could cause schizophrenia such as genetic inheritance and brain chemistry - levels of dopamine.

symptoms will vary from person to person, positive symptoms are ones that a person without schizophrenia would not experience on a day-to-day basis. examples of positive symptoms are: hallucinations which can be auditory, visual and tactile; irrational beliefs such as thinking people are out to get you and disorganized speech. negative symptoms of schizophrenia are things which cause an absence of things like emotions, movement (temporary paralysis) and motivation.

schizophrenia will have a huge impact on everyday life due to thees extreme experiences and symptoms. for example, work life will be a challenge as staying at work could be hard because of the symptoms involved with the disorder. it could cause the person with schizophrenia to live life constantly feeling worried. as well as this it could affect friends and family as they may have to take care of the person.

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BDD is an anxiety disorder based around body image, it is closely related to obsessive compulsive disorder.

this mental health problem can be caused by things such as abuse or bullying which in turn will affect a persons self-esteem and confidence. the fear of being rejected by others can also increase the risk of developing BDD. lastly, genetics could be a factor as well as having other mental health issues.

one of the signs and symptoms of this disorder is obsessive worries about your body which can include viewing your body as out of proportion, disfigured, lacking symmetry and your skin being the wrong colour or texture. another sign is compulsive and repetitive behaviors such as constantly checking yourself in mirrors, seeking reassurance from others, over-exercising, picking at your skin, weighing yourself often and comparing yourself to others. other signs and symptoms include wearing heavy makeup, fake tanning, using filters on pictures of yourself and cosmetic surgery to change your appearance.

body dysmorphic disorder will have significant affects on a persons life, it could cause severe anxiety due to feeling that people are looking at you and judging you and well as you being worried about what you look like. due to the constant worry about appearance, the mind can become preoccupied with negative thoughts which can go on to cause more serious issues. these negative thoughts could spiral and cause someone to feel the need to self-harm. it could also cause poor eating habits which in turn can lead to more serious eating disorders.

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depression is a mental health problem that involves having a low mood or losing interest and enjoyment in things. it can also cause a range of other changes to how you feel or behave.

depression can be caused by a variety of different things including childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect or living in a toxic household. life events have a major impact on mental well-being and can cause depression. these are things such as losing a job, relationship issues, divorce and bereavement. some people have a negative thought process which influences the way they go about life and their attitude towards certain things. having other mental health problems such as anxiety and PTSD can be a risk factor for developing depression. another cause could be living with a chronic illness as it limits your ability to do certain things and possibly influence the way you see life in a negative way. biological explanations like chemical imbalances also provide a cause for depression.

the signs and symptoms of depression will be different for each individual suffering, some may have all whilst others show a few of them. a person with depression may find themselves being tearful, down and upset often even when there is no explanation for this. another sign to recognize is finding no pleasure in things you used to enjoy such as hobbies or being with friends. anger and frustration is also a part of depression and this can be caused even by minor, sometimes unimportant things.

depression can have a huge impact on a persons life as well as the people around them. as depression develops and begins to take over someones life, an individual will stop attending social events with friends and family which in turn causes them to isolate themselves causing their state of mind to worsen. depression can become a serious mental health issue when people feel the need to cause harm to themselves due to things like not liking themselves or not thinking they are good enough. this can escalate to having suicidal feelings as negative thoughts about themselves and the world stick in their mind.

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anxiety is what we feel when we are worried or scared, in particular when an event is approaching or we are thinking about things that could happen in the future.

one of the causes of anxiety is past or childhood experiences that have had an impact on how you view certain situations. for example, if you have had a bad experience in a loud or busy public setting this could stick with you and cause future similar settings to become scary. other physical and mental health problems can also have an impact on the development of anxiety. certain drugs and medication can alter brain chemistry which could lead to feelings of anxiety.

symptoms of anxiety can be mental or physical and effect different people in a range of ways. some of the signs and symptoms that will affect someone mentally is a constant sense of worry and always thinking the worst, low moods and derealisation. there are some symptoms that overlap as being mental and physical such as panic attacks, the feeling of worry becomes a larger issue in the brain until it develops into a state of panic which the causes shortness of breath, increased heart rate and possibly crying. when situations are coming closer that an individual is particularly worried about they might experience things like feeling nauseous or needing the toilet more often.

anxiety has the possibility to have a large impact on someones life, it could cause people to close themselves away as a way to avoid certain situations they are feeling anxious about. it could effect work life or school life if they are finding these settings stressful which eventually causes things like unemployment, this could spiral and cause other mental health conditions.

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bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that mainly affects a persons mood.

genetics is a possible cause of bipolar disorder meaning a child could inherit it from a biological parent. recreational drugs and excessive alcohol intake can also be a cause as it effects mood as well as the chemicals in the brain. another cause is stressful life events and childhood trauma.

mostly, bipolar disorder will effect a person in 'episodes', these can be recognized as symptoms. the episodes will be different for each individual in the way they occur as well as how often. the types of episodes are manic and hypo-manic, depressive, psychotic, mixed and stable/neutral.

one effect of bipolar disorder on an individuals life is that they may have a limited social life due to others not being sure of how to deal with their episodes or not understanding the way they are behaving is out of their control, this also goes for work life. when someone is experiencing an episode they may isolate themselves so they don't affect others around them such as loved ones, this could result in depression.

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SAD is a form of depression that affects someone during a particular season of time of year. it is more common to experience in the winter however it does affect some in summer.

the exact causes of seasonal affective disorder are unclear but there are a list of factors likely to increase the risk of developing it. the main factor being a disrupted body clock due to the effects of light for example, in the winter the days are darker. the darkness also affects levels of melatonin and serotonin in the brain causing an imbalance of these chemicals.

signs and symptoms of SAD include a lack of energy and motivation, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite and a change in sleep patterns. in the summer people with SAD will tend to sleep too little causing tiredness whereas in the winter it will cause a person to sleep too much and have trouble waking up.

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OCD is a mental disorder that affects a persons behavior due to intrusive thoughts.

obsessive compulsive disorder can be caused by personal experiences such as traumatic life events, for example a death of a loved one. there is a also a biological cause involving the neurotransmitter serotonin.

two of the main symptoms are obsessions and compulsions. obsessions are unwelcome thoughts, urges and worries in your mind that can come and go but result in distress. compulsions are repetitive actions that an individual does in an attempt to reduce the distress caused by obsessions.

OCD could have a large impact on someones life as things like compulsions have the ability to take over, they can become time consuming as well as tiring. the individual could become overwhelmed causing them to isolate themselves which in turn affects work and social life.

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eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are a result of a poor relationship with food or a coping mechanism to suppress certain feelings.

eating problems can be caused by taking on the traits of others who also have eating problems. societal pressure is a large factor in the development of eating disorders due to the beauty 'standards' produced by social media leading to individuals thinking they must look a certain way in order to fit in. another cause could be a life event that has caused trauma or other mental health issues which also increase the risk.

the main signs and symptoms of an eating problem is purging or binge eating which can progress further into serious disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. an individual who has a poor relationship with food is likely to also have a poor relationship with their body image. another sign is a person may feel they must maintain control over everything which also affects food and their weight.

some people with an eating disorder might find it difficult to talk to their loved ones about what they are experiencing and isolate themselves to hide their struggle. it could result in a high amount of anxiety especially around mealtimes or when others are eating around them. eating problems can cause other mental health issues which can develop into things such as self-harm and suicidal thoughts.