Mental health quiz

One in five Canadians will have a mental illness at some point in their life. That means that almost all Canadians will have a family member, friend or colleague who has a mental illness.

People of any age, culture, background or lifestyle can develop a mental illness.

When we think of mental health, we often think of mental illness. But there is more to mental health than not being ill – there is all that makes us healthy mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and in our relationships with others. Mental health includes cognitive fitness, emotional well-being, adapting to life’s challenges, balancing multiple roles, and having fulfilling relationships with others and ourselves.

Our mental health is influenced by many factors, including stress, hormones, physical illness, life stages and life events, relationships, family and spirituality. Just as we can pursue physical fitness by taking care of our bodies, we can also pursue optimum mental health by taking care of our minds. In fact, there is a lot of crossover between the two: factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep are essential to both body and mind.

Depression is a highly treatable disorder. While many people struggle with depression, most do not end up seeking treatment. There are many things that can be helpful for individuals with depression. In addition to treatment options such as psychotherapy and medications, there are things that a person with depression can do on their own. These elements are called ‘self care,’ and include  such things as connecting with others in your life, practising relaxation strategies, incorporating rewarding activities into your day, exercising, eating well and getting plenty of rest.

Eating disorders are not about appearance, looking thin or seeking attention. An eating disorder is a serious mental health problem that is usually related to emotional difficulties and low self-esteem.

Eating disorders often develop as a way to cope with difficult and painful feelings. The focus on weight, calories and exercise allows the individual to distance herself from whatever is at the heart of her difficulties.

Anger, fear, grief, sadness, pain and other intense feelings can be very scary. An eating disorder is akin to an emotional anesthesia. These anesthetizing illnesses are severely damaging physically and psychologically. In addition, eating disorders can significantly impact one’s relationships and cognitive abilities. Eating disorders are life-threatening and often those suffering from them need professional help to recover.

During pregnancy there are many changes in a woman’s life including changes in her body and hormones, but also changes in role, identity and feelings, to name a few. These changes also occur over a relatively short period of time. This time of her life is an opportunity for significant positive psychological development, as well as being a potentially vulnerable time when the woman is at risk for the development of particular mental health difficulties. This is even true for women who have no prior history of mental health difficulties.

Depression and anxiety are the two most common mental health difficulties experienced by women during the perinatal period (the period that includes pregnancy, childbirth, and the weeks and the months that follow). In fact, 80 per cent of new mothers experience “baby blues.” Postpartum depression is a more serious condition experienced by 10-16 per cent of new mothers. It involves a major depressive episode that should be treated by a health-care professional.

Mental health and physical health have a lot in common. Both benefit from basic and regular maintenance. Nutrition and exercise are the basic maintenance for both a healthy mind and a healthy body.

While diet and exercise are often thought of as tools of physical health, research has shown that these factors have an impact on how we feel and how well we function mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. Many of the symptoms associated with deterioration in mental health – including fatigue, lack of energy, poor concentration, anxiety and poor body image – benefit from exercise and a healthy diet.

Diet and exercise are also crucial to the prevention and management of many chronic diseases. Maintaining physical health can not only help avoid physical illness, but it can also support resiliency in your mental health. Conversely, poor physical health can lead to increased vulnerability for mental illnesses, such as depression.

Not everyone who experiences a trauma will develop a traumatic stress response. Actually, most will recover over time and not experience any lasting difficulties.

Others will experience more long-lasting difficulties. Those who experience trauma as a child are more likely to experience longer-lasting difficulties. Children are more vulnerable and have developed fewer coping strategies to manage normal stress, let alone something traumatic.

Other factors also contribute to an increased risk of developing a trauma response. These include sociocultural factors like discrimination and poverty, the nature of the traumatic event (such as whether it was frequent or repeated, or whether it caused physical injury or was life-threatening), and individual factors such as pre-existing mental health difficulties and how much social support a person has.

Recovering from trauma may take time. Everyone heals at her own pace.