YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR

Mental health has been a prevalent concern for a long time, and has become even more alarming in the pandemic. It leads to mental illness when ongoing signs and symptoms persist and cause frequent stress that affects our ability to function.

ental health refers to cognitive, behavioural, and emotional well-being. A mental illness can make you miserable and can cause problems in your daily life, such as at school or work or in relationships. According to the WHO “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

An important implication of this definition is that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we live and work dramatically – with individuals spending on average 4.2 hours per day on their smartphones,” said Dr. Vivek Vishal, Hitaishi Happiness Home,Patna. “While more time on your phone hasn’t been linked to increased mental health problems, unlimited access to information on societal factors driving stress and anxiety, such as the pandemic, employment, and social inequality is easily accessible to a global audience.

PERSONALITY AND BEHAVIOR CHANGES : While our moods and behavior naturally fluctuate, someone with a personality change may not be acting like their usual self and may show extreme changes in behavior. Each person also varies from day to day, depending on the circumstances.

For example, the frontal lobes are the area of the brain right behind the eyes that controls our ability to focus, pay attention, be motivated and other aspects of personality. Therefore, when cells in the frontal lobes of the brain are lost, people are less able to plan and stay focused. They are often less motivated and become more passive.

Sudden personality changes can also result from brain damage or infection. Possible causes of brain damage include injury, stroke, infection, and inflammation, among others.

CAUSES OF PERSONALITY AND BEHAVIOR CHANGES : People with personality disorders have long-standing patterns of thinking and acting that differ from what society considers usual or normal. Research suggests that genetics, abuse and other factors contribute to the development of obsessive-compulsive, narcissistic or other personality disorders.While a gradual personality change isn’t unusual, a sudden change can be caused by an injury or illness.

Personality disorders might develop as a way of coping with a troubling situation or unreasonable stress. For example, a person who was abused or neglected as a child might develop a personality disorder as a way of coping with the pain, fear, and anxiety that exists in his or her surroundings.

TYPES OF PERSONALITY DISORDERS : Many different types of personality disorders exist, and the symptoms vary greatly according to each type. Commonly diagnosed personality disorders include;

• Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

• Borderline personality disorder

• Avoidant personality disorder

• Schizoid personality disorder

• Antisocial personality disorder

TREATMENT OF PERSONALITY AND BEHAVIOR CHANGES : The treatment that’s best for you depends on your particular personality disorder, its severity and your life situation. A personality change caused by a medical condition may subside once the condition is treated. However, in some cases, it won’t go away with treatment of the underlying condition.

If you have a hormonal imbalance, your personality change may subside after you take the prescribed medications to balance your hormones. Replacement estrogen, low-dose birth control pills, and progesterone injections are commonly prescribed medications.

Apart from medication, the awareness towards mental health is an equally important factor to encourage people to identify and combat it, as they do with any physical illness. In conclusion, we should by large strive towards an empathetic society which looks at and handles mental health with utmost kindness and sensitivity.