Health New England | Health Matters | Wellness Guide 2019

Health Matters ∞ 5 Why Mental Health Matters It’s easy to take mental health for granted. But without it, we would struggle to control our thoughts and behaviors. Emotional well-being is just as important as your physical health. It’s crucial to your relation- ships, your ability to work and how you handle challenges. What Is Mental Health? Mental health isn’t the same as feeling happy. Rather, it means you can deal with emotions such as stress, anger and sadness. Mental illness, on the other hand, is when your behavior and thinking change. You feel distress and have trouble functioning. These changes can result from an imbalance of chemicals in your brain. Mental illness isn’t much different from diabetes or arthritis in that it’s a medical problem that can be treated. And it’s common—mental illness af- fects nearly one in five people in the United States. Reach Out Getting help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Start by talking to your primary care provider (PCP), who may recommend you see a mental health professional. You and your PCP can put a plan together that may include talk therapy, medication or a combination of the two. Sources: American Academy of Family Physicians; American Psychiatric Association A Checklist for Mental Health Use this list to help see if your mental health is in check. Talk to your PCP if you answer “yes” to any of these questions. ❏ Do you have trouble focusing, meeting deadlines or completing chores? ❏ Do you avoid being alone because emotions such as anxiety take over? ❏ Are you sad or depressed very often? ❏ Do your moods change frequently from high to low? ❏ Are you unable to cope with stress or difficult emotions? ❏ Do you feel low on energy most of the time? ❏ Do worries or emotions keep you awake at night? ❏ Do you have trouble relaxing? ❏ Do you take comfort in alcohol or drugs? ❏ Do you easily become hostile or violent? ❏ Do you think about hurting yourself or someone else? MENTAL HEALTH