What is Mental Health - Ubuntu Wellness Group

The subject of mental health is so taboo and so misunderstood that many people have no idea what it is. Mental health is actually a spectrum of so many things. Just as there can be so many ailments that affect the body; there are so many ailments that affect the mind.

In Tanzania many people deal with mental health issues by either ignoring the problem or depending solely on religious methods. Many people do not realize that you can in fact get medication that can manage or even cure a mental health issue. In some cases what is needed is a trained professional to help guide a person through their processes.

So, in order to help facilitate better knowledge of mental health, and in order to help those who have or are experiencing something that should be addressed, below is a glossary or list of some (not all) of the most common mental health issues:

(Note - If you go to the section of this website labeled “Counseling” you can find professional and medical help for a mental health issue).

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

is a chronic condition marked by persistent inattention, hyperactivity, and sometimes impulsivity.

Alcoholism

Addiction to the consumption of alcoholic drink; alcohol dependency.

Anxiety Disorder

Symptoms include:

• Feeling nervous, restless or tense

• Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom

• Having an increased heart rate

• Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)

• Sweating

• Trembling

• Feeling weak or tired

• Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry

• Having trouble sleeping

• Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems

• Having difficulty controlling worry

• Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety

Autism

Persons with autism may exhibit some of the following traits:

• Insistence on sameness; resistance to change

• Difficulty in expressing needs; uses gestures or pointing instead of words

• Repeating words or phrases in place of normal, responsive language

• Laughing, crying, showing distress for reasons not apparent to others

• Prefers to be alone; aloof manner

• Tantrums

• Difficulty in mixing with others

• May not want to cuddle or be cuddled

• Little or no eye contact

• Unresponsive to normal teaching methods

• Sustained odd play

• Spins objects

• Inappropriate attachments to objects

• Apparent over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity to pain

• No real fears of danger

• Noticeable physical over-activity or extreme under-activity

• Uneven gross/fine motor skills

• Not responsive to verbal cues; acts as if deaf although hearing tests in normal range.

Bipolar Disorder

A disorder that causes severe and unusually high and low shifts in mood, energy, and activity levels as well as unusual shifts in the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. (Also known as Manic Depression)

Depression

Lack of interest or pleasure in daily activities, sadness and feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt that are severe enough to interfere with working, sleeping, studying, eating and enjoying life.

Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are a range of conditions expressed through abnormal or disturbed eating habits.

These generally stem from an obsession with food, body weight or body shape and often result in serious health consequences. In some cases, eating disorders even result in death.

Post-partum Depression

Post-partum depression (PPD), also called postnatal depression, is a type of mood disorder associated with childbirth, which can affect both sexes. Symptoms may include extreme sadness, low energy, anxiety, crying episodes, irritability, and changes in sleeping or eating patterns.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world.

Schizophrenia

A severe mental disorder that appears in late adolescence or early adulthood. People with schizophrenia may have hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, loss of personality, confusion, agitation, social withdrawal, psychosis and/or extremely odd behavior.

Substance Abuse

Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is a patterned use of a drug in which the user consumes the substance in amounts or with methods which are harmful to themselves or others, and is a form of substance-related disorder.

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(Some issues are not disorders, such as):

•  Family therapy

•  Marriage counseling

•  Experience of abuse

•  Grief

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(Some issues simply have to do with improving mental wellness, such as):

•  Career development

•  Life coaching

•  Dealing with day to day stress

•  Learning to cope with a certain transition