(Emphasize on Depression and Anxiety among millennials but do touch on other mental illnesses). Explain the chemical imbalances in one’s brain depending on the illness. Talk about the stigma of mental illness causes, (examples: the pressure to succeed at an early age, social media influence, more expensive to live compared to baby boomers), effects, what to do solve this issue, how to address it, how to remove the stigma, how common it is to have depression and anxiety for millennials. For conclusion talk about the importance of mental health.
The Importance of Mental Health
Millennials often struggle with various kinds of mental disorders. The rate of mental illness among the youth has been increasing rapidly. It is an issue that needs to be properly addressed. Proper techniques are required to educate the common people about mental health. The mental health of a person is of great significance. One cannot operate properly if he is going through a dilemma. It has a negative effect on basically every aspect of an individual’s life. Thus, it is important to be aware of mental health and its importance so that one can maintain a healthy outlook towards life. Experiencing mental health problems can cause individuals to have their thinking, behavior and mood to be seriously affected. Mental health problems can be caused because of genetic reasons, biological factors and influencing life experiences (Mental Health.Gov).
Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental illness that seem to have a pattern among today’s youth especially those that belong to the millenial geenration. Both of them are often observed together, i.e., a patient having an anxiety disorder is most likely to suffer from depression as well, and vice versa. It is difficult to distinguish between them, but they must be diagnosed and treated properly as, if not, the patient might get involved in drugs or alcoholism or even worse, suicide (Tiller).
Anxiety disorders are often the initial condition, mostly observed in childhood, that which leads to severe mental health diseases afterward. The increased release of corticotrophin in the cerebrospinal fluid is reported in both the disorders. Oxidative, nitrosative and neuro inflammatory pathways have also been recently implicated in patients of depression. Depression is linked to imbalances in the norepinephrine, neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine which are responsible for the regulation of physiological functions of the body (Nemade, Reiss and Dombeck). Psychological stress is the most common reason that becomes the primary cause of depression in a person, but after when it has occurred a few times, it is likely that a person might suffer from depression on a spontaneous basis now without necessarily having to be fueled by an external event (Tiller).
The most common cause of depression is said to be chemical imbalance. But the medical explanation of the disease is quite complex than that. It is not caused by the excess or lack of a certain chemical. Rather, some chemicals, some inside and others outside the nerve cell, are involved in the process. There major causes of depression are associated with the mood regulations of a person caused by the brain, psychological stressors, genetic vulnerability, medical problems, and even medications. And there exist millions or even billions of chemicals in the human brain that can be held responsible for a person’s mood, perception or his approach to dealing with certain events of life. This complexity indicates that two patients of depression might have the same symptoms, but the problem inside can be quite different. It makes the correct treatment of the particular disease even more complex (Harvard Medical School).
Researchers have been looking for the areas that most affect the moods regulated by the brain. The hippocampus, the amygdala, and the thalamus are reported to play the most prominent role in depressive disorders. The hippocampus is that part of the brain that plays the major role in processing recollection and long-term memory. The amygdala is associated with the emotions of a person such as sorrow, anger, pleasure, and fear. The thalamus is the part of the brain that is responsible for thinking, speech, movement, learning and behavioral reactions. The hippocampus is observed to get smaller in patients of depression. It is because stress can suppress the making of new nerve cells. There are different kinds of medications called antidepressants to treat with depression; it simply depends on the individual and their therapist to determine which one works for them (Southwest Albama Behavioral Health Care Systems). It gives the system a boost that makes the brain perform a better job. But it is not a permanent treatment for the disease. The answer is new medications need to be developed that would improve the production of these neurotransmitters (Harvard Medical School).
Genes also have an impact on the moods of individuals. Genes are held responsible for controlling every part of the human body. Thus, they can also alter human biology in such a way that it makes the mood of an individual quite unstable. Researchers have reported that depression is a genetic disease that runs in families from generation to generation. Hence, proper study is required in this regard so that correct treatment can be provided to the patients.
The psychological causes of depression and anxiety can be linked with the individual’s life experiences. A recent study proved that one in every eight people is suffering through a mental disorder. Women are even more likely to get affected. The major platform that is held responsible for it is social media. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media sites are playing the most significant role in increasing this mental illness rate. The financial conditions of an individual and the exam pressure are two factors that also might have a negative impact. The survey said that people with depression spend more time in front of screens. It might be because they feel lonely or isolated that turns them towards social media or another reason can be the bullying that people face on such sites (Delgado). These sites can also grow the feelings of insecurity or jealousy in an individual. It was proved through a study that people who limited their use of Facebook and other such sites felt a lot better regarding anxiety and depression (Arends).
The state of Obesity also believes in causing depression. It becomes the reason for self-doubt which has always been a major reason for depression. Overweight people are often fat shamed by others that might be another reason (Dapcevich) Other reasons of mental disorders include trauma, changing friendships and relationships, the death of a close relative, parents’ separation, abuse, sexual issue, the pressure of studies or responsibilities, puberty or financial problems. The chances for teenagers falling into such mental disorders are the highest. They can lead to drug issues, pregnancy, alcoholism, runaways or even deaths. Patients of depression most needed the support of their family members and closed one at such a crucial time. They should be educated regarding the issue as well. Parents should look for symptoms of mental illness in their children. Diagnosed children should be treated with affection and care. Mental disorders can be life-threatening. Thus, patients must be provided with correct medications and proper therapies.
Millennials are at higher risk of falling into depression and anxiety. It might be because people of this generation are expected to be perfectionists. And these expectations and pressure often lead to stress. The individuals of this generation in the developed countries are mostly self-madethus, striving for higher education and better career opportunities. These responsibilities also bring a feeling of being overburdened along with them. They are expected to meet certain standards in not only one but some criteria. The struggle to achieve such goals, all at the same time; often leads to anxiety, depression and other mental health issues (Perry).
While depression is the most common mood disorder, there exist other bipolar disorders as well that includes hyperactivity, mania-europhoric, unrealistic optimism, and over-inflated ego behaviors or cyclothamia and seasonal affective disorder. They might be less common, but it is because they are often overlooked. People who are extremely self-critical, hypersensitive to loss or impulsive are most likely to fall into personality disorders. At most 30% of them also suffer from panic attacks. As a result, they also get involved in alcoholism or drugs (Mental Health America).
Depression and mental illness are oven perceived as a personal weakness. It is still considered a taboo in some countries, and people feel embarrassed talking about it. Even medical students and practitioners possess a negative attitude towards patients of mental disabilities. This attitude makes the situation worse for a depressed patient. It is a real problem because if psychiatrist will themselves stigmatize patients with mental illness, how can common people be blamed for their negative attitudes then? This problem should be addressed early in medical education. Teachers should help to make medical students realize the suffering and challenges that these patients have to face. Steps should be taken to bring an end to this stigma and shame associated with mental illness. Psychiatrists should be able to send this message to the patients that mental health issues are like any other ordinary health issue, and they have come across the right place in order to get help (Combs).
In the end, it can be concluded that it is wisely said that there exists no health without mental health. But due to the shame that is associated with it, people often do not get the help they require. Mental health has an impact on an individual not only mentally, but also physically, financially and socially. The symptoms and causes of these disorders can be different for each. Thus, it is encouraged to ask questions, take part in the health care process, eat healthily and exercise well, stay surrounded by loved ones and overall maintain a healthy lifestyle to ensure positive mental health.
Work Cited
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Perry, Philip. “Millennials are at higher risk for mental health issues. This may be why.” Big Thnik. Big Think, 8 January 2018. Web. 24 Novemeber 2018. https://bigthink.com/philip-perry/millennials-are-at-higher-risk-for-mental-health-issues-this-may-be-why.
Southwest Albama Behavioral Health Care Systems. “Biology of Depression – Neurotransmitters.” SWAMH. SWAMH, 2018. Web. 26 November 2018. https://www.swamh.com/poc/view_doc.php?type=doc&id=12999&cn=.
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