A Silent Illness: Mental Health Awareness Month
Asalam alaykum loves! We made it through day 17 of Ramadan! I know we are all trying to make the most out of these last few days and prep ourselves for the last ten days of Ramadan, don't give up hope if you feel like the days that have passed have not been beneficial, keep pushing and trying to find ways to seek reward since Ramadan will be over before we know it! Know that you can keep making dua ask for your hearts content and ask Allah to forgive your sins and grant you Jennah.
Lakes Psychological Practice, https://lakespsychologicalpractice.com/, (612) 324-5505, DrAnisa@lakespsychmn.com
Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 35:
"Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward."
May Allah help us to be among the righteous, and among the men and women who are mentioned in this verse!
Moving on to what I wanted to discuss, today MENTAL HEALTH. It is a topic we often think about our discuss but it can be very taboo and hush hush in our community. There is the myth that if someone has a mental health disorder that they just need to read Quran more and pray more and they will be healed. The reality is the mental health conditions arise from traumatic experiences, sometimes they are hereditary and also it has to do with a lack of chemicals being produced properly (usually serotonin in your brain). People also can develop a mental illness when having to deal with a physical condition, the combination of the physical pain and exhaustion lead to a mental condition. There can be countless other reasons a person develops a mental illness but regardless of how it starts , the important part is the support and love a person needs to heal and live life to the fullest.
According to my research the reasons for someone having a mental illness can be a combination of what I have listed above. Genetics, environment, lifestyle and job stress or home stress can be other factors. As well as traumatic events like a brain injury, being the victim of crime or a witness/soldier in war. I didn't even think about this but other reasons for developing mental illness is you actually being born this way, if a mother is exposed to toxic chemicals, very sick or using alcohol or drugs while you are in the womb, this can lead to a child developing disorders. As well as if the mother is exposed to stressful environments while pregnant, it affects the unborn fetus and they can develop behavioral conditions such as ADHD, Anxiety and Oppositional Defiant Disorder.
Jabir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Every disease has a cure. If a cure is applied to the disease, it is relieved by the permission of Allah Almighty.”
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2204
"My biggest concern regarding mental illness in metro Atlanta is people not willing to seek professional help because of the stigma that surrounds someone with a mental illness, despite it affecting so many people," Janet Cox PhD, Director for a Psychiatric Center in Atlanta said.
42.5% of Americans have a mental disorder, which is about 18.2% of the population. That is also 1 in every 5 adults with a mental illness or 1 in 17 people who have a major condition such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. 50% of these conditions start at age 14 and 75% start at the age of 24. (Wow I am 24 years old right now!)
There are various disorders that a person can be diagnosed with and I probably won't be able to list them all but these are the more common ones.
Anxiety Disorders: Panic disorder, Obsessive- compulsive disorder, post traumatic stress disorder
Categorized as ongoing and constant anxiety which can include symptoms such as chest pain, panic attacks and fear to leave home. People diagnosed with this can feel restless, easily fatigued, have difficulty concentrating, are irritable, constantly worry and have trouble sleeping.
Mood Disorders: Depression, Bipolar Disorder
Categorized as extreme sadness or moods swings, thoughts of suicide or self harm, and having changing moods of happy to sad frequently. Symptoms include isolation, irritableness or unhappiness majority of the time, and the urge to harm others or themselves
Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulmia Nervosa, Binge Eating
Categorized as the lack of interest or obsession with food and body image. Symptoms include eating large amounts of food, throwing up food, and eating little to no food.
Personality Disorders: Paranoid Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder
Categorized as mental illnesses grouped together. Symptoms include patterns of thoughts are behaviors that are unhealthy, blaming others for problems, difficulty dealing with or working with other people, unable to respond to changes and demands, inflexible, narrow view of world and difficulty participating in social activities.
Psychotic Disorders: Schizophrenia, Psychosis, Schizoaffective Disorder
Categorized as severe mental disorders. Symptoms include abnormal thinking/perception, lost touch with reality, delusions (false beliefs such as someone trying to harm them), and hallucinations (seeing things that are not there),
I know that this is a lot of information to take in, I feel like I learned some things I did not know myself but it is always good to have this information or remember some of the symptoms or signs so we can get the help we or a loved one needs. Look below for Help!
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255, https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Crisis Text Line: Text CONNECT to 741741, https://www.crisistextline.org/
Therapy Nationwide: https://www.therapyforblackgirls.com/, https://www.betterhelp.com/helpme, https://www.goodtherapy.org
Organizations in Minnesota
Peoples Center, https://www.peoples-center.org, 612-332-4973
Minnesota Center for Psychology, http://www.minnesotacenterforpsychology.com, 651-644-4100
Minnesota Mental Health Clinics, https://mnmentalhealthclinics.com, 651-454-0114
Emily Program, https://emilyprogram.com, 866-916-3280
Natalis Counseling & Psychology Solutions, https://www.natalispsychology.com, 651-379-5157
Lakes Psychological Practice, https://lakespsychologicalpractice.com/, (612) 324-5505, DrAnisa@lakespsychmn.com
May Allah heal you if you are struggling with a mental illness, help you to manage your illness through medication, therapy and love and support, and may we be supportive to others struggling with a mental illness! Ameen.
Sources: https://www.mdjonline.com/
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