How to strengthen Mental health : Part 2

Summary

In this neuroscience-focused YouTube video, the host delves into strategies for enhancing mental health, following up on a previous segment. They emphasize the importance of acknowledging mental health issues, drawing parallels to physical ailments for clarity. The video outlines steps for improvement, including seeking professional help, journaling to understand and address problems, and recognizing the role of physical health. It also touches on the benefits of exercise as an alternative to medication and the significance of open dialogue for healing. The host encourages viewers to continue the conversation on mental health, particularly in communities where awareness is lacking.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Awareness is the first step in improving mental health. Recognizing that there is an issue is crucial for seeking help.
• 🤔 Understanding the nature of the problem is essential. It involves acknowledging and exploring the mental health issues one is facing.
• 🔑 Identifying the root cause of the problem is important. It often involves looking into past experiences and understanding how they contribute to current mental states.
• 📝 Journaling can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and gaining insights into one's mental health.
• 👨‍⚕️ Seeking professional help from a therapist or psychiatrist is recommended for a deeper understanding and treatment of mental health issues.
• 💊 Medications can be a part of the treatment plan for mental health, but they should be seen as a support system rather than a complete solution.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Physical activities like yoga, dance, and resistance training can be as effective as medications in treating mental health conditions.
• 🍽️ Maintaining physical health through proper diet, sleep, and exercise is integral to mental health improvement.
• 🌟 Early detection and intervention can make mental health issues easier to manage and treat.
• 👪 Having difficult conversations with oneself and loved ones is part of the healing process and can be facilitated with the help of a therapist.

Q & A

What is the first step in improving mental health according to the video?

The first step in improving mental health is to acknowledge that there is a problem. This involves being aware of any issues that prevent you from doing what you want to do and seeking help if needed.

How does the video compare physical health issues to mental health issues?

The video compares physical health issues to mental health issues by explaining that just as physical pain indicates a problem, awareness of mental discomfort is the first step towards addressing mental health issues.

What role does journaling play in understanding mental health issues?

Journaling plays a crucial role in understanding mental health issues by allowing individuals to explore their state of mind and gain a deeper understanding of what is bothering them.

Why is it important to understand the cause of a mental health issue?

Understanding the cause of a mental health issue is important because it helps in identifying the root of the problem, which can be in the past experiences or current behaviors, and allows for targeted solutions.

How does the video suggest dealing with difficult conversations in mental health improvement?

The video suggests that difficult conversations, often about past hurts or actions, are a part of the mental health improvement process. A therapist can help navigate these conversations safely.

What is the relationship between physical health and mental health as discussed in the video?

The video emphasizes that physical health directly affects mental health, as the health of the brain is influenced by factors like diet, sleep, exercise, and environment.

What is the video's stance on the use of medications for mental health?

The video acknowledges that medications for anxiety and depression can be life-saving and beneficial, but they should be seen as a support system rather than a cure-all and should be combined with self-care and therapy.

How does the video address the importance of early detection in mental health?

The video stresses the importance of early detection in mental health by comparing it to physical health issues, where early identification and treatment lead to better outcomes.

What does the video suggest as a multifaceted strategy for improving mental health?

The video suggests a multifaceted strategy for improving mental health that includes journaling, having difficult conversations, maintaining physical health, and possibly using medications as a support system.

What recent study is mentioned in the video regarding the effectiveness of exercise in treating depression?

The video mentions a recent study published in the British Medical Journal that shows exercise forms like yoga, dance, and resistance training can be as effective as medications in treating depression.

How does the video encourage viewers to engage in conversations about mental health?

The video encourages viewers to engage in conversations about mental health by sharing the video with friends and family and discussing the topic, especially in regions where mental health awareness is lacking.

Outlines

00:00

🧠 Understanding Mental Health Issues

This paragraph introduces the topic of mental health and the process of recognizing and addressing mental health problems. The speaker draws a comparison between physical and mental health issues, emphasizing the importance of awareness and early detection. The analogy of knee pain is used to illustrate how the severity of a problem can be gauged by its impact on daily activities. The speaker advises seeking professional help, such as a therapist or psychiatrist, if one is unsure how to proceed after identifying a mental health issue. The paragraph concludes with a call to action for viewers to continue watching the video to learn about subsequent steps in managing mental health.

05:02

💬 The Importance of Difficult Conversations

The second paragraph delves into the challenges of having difficult conversations, particularly those related to mental health. It discusses the discomfort that arises from discussing past hurts and the role of a therapist in guiding these conversations. The paragraph also highlights the significance of physical health in maintaining mental well-being, emphasizing how factors like diet, sleep, and exercise influence brain health and, consequently, mental health. The speaker encourages viewers to explore additional resources provided in the video description for a comprehensive understanding of mental health improvement. The paragraph concludes with a discussion on the role of medication in treating mental health conditions, suggesting that while medications can be beneficial, they should be viewed as a support system rather than a cure-all. The speaker also mentions a study that suggests certain forms of exercise can be as effective as medication in treating depression.

Keywords

💡Mental Health

Mental health refers to a person's emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act, and can determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. In the video, the speaker discusses how to improve mental health, emphasizing that recognizing and addressing mental health issues is crucial for overall well-being.

💡Awareness

Awareness, in the context of the video, is the first step towards improving mental health. It involves recognizing that there is an issue with one's mental state. The speaker uses the analogy of physical pain to explain how noticing discomfort or unusual behavior can signal a need for attention, just as physical pain might indicate a health problem.

💡Journaling

Journaling is the act of writing down one's thoughts and feelings regularly. The speaker highlights its importance in understanding mental health issues, as it allows individuals to explore their state of mind and gain a deeper understanding of their problems. It's presented as a tool for self-reflection and a means to identify patterns or triggers of mental distress.

💡Therapy

Therapy, as discussed in the video, is a professional service provided by therapists or psychiatrists to help individuals deal with mental health issues. It involves guided conversations and strategies to help individuals understand and manage their problems. The speaker suggests seeking therapy as a way to navigate the complexities of mental health.

💡Physical Health

Physical health is the state of being free from illness or injury. The video emphasizes that mental health is closely linked to physical health, as the brain's health is influenced by factors like diet, exercise, and sleep. The speaker urges viewers to take care of their physical health as part of a comprehensive approach to improving mental health.

💡Medication

Medication is a form of treatment that involves taking drugs to manage or alleviate symptoms of certain conditions. In the context of mental health, medications are often prescribed for conditions like anxiety and depression. The speaker mentions that while medications can be beneficial, they should be seen as a support system and not a replacement for other self-care practices.

💡Exercise

Exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health. The video references a study that suggests certain forms of exercise, like yoga and resistance training, can be as effective as medications in treating depression. Exercise is portrayed as a vital component of a multifaceted strategy for improving mental health.

💡Causality

Causality refers to the relationship between cause and effect. In the video, the speaker discusses the importance of understanding the causes behind mental health issues, often rooted in past experiences or behaviors. This understanding is crucial for addressing and resolving these issues effectively.

💡Denial

Denial is a psychological defense mechanism where a person refuses to accept reality or the truth about a situation. The video mentions that people often deny mental health issues because admitting to them can feel personal and negative. Overcoming denial is a step towards acknowledging and addressing mental health problems.

💡Self-Care

Self-care encompasses a variety of practices that individuals engage in to take care of their own health and well-being. In the video, self-care is discussed in the context of managing mental health, including activities like journaling, having difficult conversations, and maintaining physical health through diet and exercise.

💡Difficult Conversations

Difficult conversations refer to discussions that involve sensitive or uncomfortable topics. The speaker in the video mentions that improving mental health often requires having these conversations, particularly with oneself and loved ones, to address and resolve issues that may be contributing to mental distress.

Highlights

Introduction to a series on improving mental health, continuation from part one.

The importance of recognizing a problem in mental health before seeking improvement.

Drawing a parallel between physical pain and awareness of mental health issues.

The significance of acknowledging mental health issues early for effective treatment.

Advice on seeking professional help from a therapist or psychiatrist when unsure of next steps.

Exploring the process of understanding the nature of mental health problems through writing or journaling.

The challenge of accepting mental health issues due to the personal nature of such conditions.

The value of early detection in mental health for easier problem-solving, analogous to physical health.

Understanding the root causes of mental health issues often linked to past experiences.

The role of journaling in gaining insights into one's mental state and identifying problematic patterns.

The necessity of addressing the 'why' behind mental health issues to facilitate healing.

Emphasizing the importance of physical health in maintaining mental well-being.

The direct correlation between lifestyle factors such as diet, sleep, and exercise with brain health.

Medications as a support system in mental health treatment, not a standalone solution.

The effectiveness of exercise in treating depression, comparable to medication.

Improving mental health as a multifaceted approach requiring a combination of various strategies.

Encouragement for viewers to engage in discussions about mental health, especially in communities where awareness is low.

Invitation for viewers to ask questions and suggest topics for future videos on mental health.

Transcripts

hello and welcome back to my YouTube

channel where we talk about neuroscience

and everything this is part two of my

video of how to improve mental health if

you've already seen part one you know

that we've talked about what is mental

health and what are the levels of mental

health if you haven't seen it go check

that out first and then come back to

this video and if you have seen it let's

dive right into it how do you improve

mental health step number one is there a

problem now this is a question that I

get asked a surprising amount of time

which is how how do I know if there is

an issue with my mental health and the

way I usually tackle this is I ask them

how do you know if you have a physical

problem for example how do you know if

you have a knee issue well they'd say

I'll have pain in my knee exactly if you

have something that you are aware of you

are able to deal with it much better and

after that you can then decide how

serious it is for example do you have

knee pain only when you lift something

heavy then you have a knee issue but

what if you have knee pain even if you

climb the stairs then you have a more

serious knee problem and what if you

have knee pain even if you're just

sitting or lying down that means you

have a very serious knee problem

similarly when it comes to mental health

there is something that you want to do

but you're unable to do because of some

reason and that is awareness of the

problem we don't know what is the issue

we don't know why is the issue but just

awareness is step one and very often

this much is enough to seek help if you

are at step one and you feel you don't

know how to proceed please go and speak

to a therapist or a psychiatrist and let

them take you through the remaining

steps but for now in this video I am

going to tell you what the remaining

steps are step number two is

understanding what is the problem now

how do you go about this see the tricky

thing about mental health when compared

to physical health is that when it comes

com to mental health issues we have a

tendency to deny things or lie to

ourselves we don't like to accept that

something is wrong because it almost

feels personal it almost feels like

you're saying that there's something

wrong with you as opposed to if there's

a knee pain you're able to say n my knee

is hurting it's not me that is the

problem with mental health issues and

that's why people take so long in

admitting that they are struggling and

that's also why people struggle with

understanding what is the issue and one

of the ways of getting past this problem

is by writing I've already made a video

on why journaling is so important and if

you want to see that the link is right

here but journaling or writing down your

thoughts allows you to explore your own

State of Mind better and you gradually

gain a deeper understanding of what is

it that is bothering you so much now

remember that the earlier you spot a

problem and start understanding it the

easier it is to solve coming back to the

knee pain example suppose if you've just

started having knee pain and you've

immediately spotted it and if you go to

a doctor they'll be able to treat you

much better but suppose if your knee has

been hurting for a few months now and it

has gradually started getting swollen

and it is red and you're unable to walk

and you go to the doctor then isn't it

much more difficult to treat it it's

very similar with mental health if you

spot the problem early and if you're

able to find out what is the issue early

on it is a much easier problem to solve

so after step number one which is

confirming there is a problem step

number two which is understanding what

is a problem com step number three which

is to understand why is there a problem

what has led to this situation what has

caused you to have this problem today

and usually the answer is always in the

past because just like physical problems

mental problems don't come out of

nowhere there's always something that

has led to this and the answer aners

might lie maybe in your childhood maybe

in your teenagers maybe some experiences

you've had in the past few years of your

life all of these things add up to

certain Behavior patterns and thought

patterns that you have that has led to

this situation today and understanding

this chain of causality is important if

you want to fix it in Physical Medicine

we call this iology and risk factors for

example if somebody has a heart attack

today it means that over the last few

years some things have happened in their

their heart in their blood vessels that

has led to this event similarly in

mental health as well it is important to

catch the early signs so that we can

take the necessary steps at the

necessary time and here again both

journaling honestly and speaking to a

therapist will help you go through this

process much better and finally comes

the solution part now that you've

understood that there is a problem what

is the problem and why did this problem

happen we have to fix it usually the

solution is in the form of having

difficult conversations mostly with

yourself but also with people that you

love now why are these conversations

difficult because these conversations

will be about things that you have done

to hurt them or they have done to hurt

you or mostly things that you have done

to hurt yourself and this again is where

a therapist really helps because they

help you navigate these conversations in

a safe way so that they don't spiral out

of control control or you don't feel

helpless in the middle of it now no

conversation on Mental Health can be

complete without talking about the

importance of physical health in your

mental state remember that your mind

does not exist in a vacuum health of

your mind is directly related to how

healthy your brain is and everything

affects the health of your brain what

you eat how much sleep you get how much

you exercise what environment are you

living in all these factors directly

affect the health of your brain which in

turn translates to your mental health so

please remember that you have to take

care of your physical health when you

are talking about improving your mental

health if you want to learn more about

how sleep affects you and what kind of

exercise you should do and what kind of

food you should eat check out the links

in the description I've made videos on

all these topics and you can watch them

all to get a complete understanding of

how to improve your mental health and

finally we have to talk about

medications there are several

medications for anxiety for depression

and these have been life saving millions

of people around the world have

benefited from taking these medications

and if your therapist or your

psychiatrist decides that medications

are the right approach for you trust

them medications are there to help you

get better but remember that medications

are not the cure for everything they are

only a support system and they are not a

substitute for you taking care of your

sleep for you taking care of your body

and for you working on yourself by

journaling and having those difficult

conversations medicines help you do all

these things better so that you can

improve now an important thing to

mention here was a study that was

published in the British medical journal

very recently that showed how exercise

forms like yoga dance and even

resistance training weightlifting are

all As effective as medications when it

comes to treating things like depression

and combining medications with these

exercise forms can be so much more

effective so remember that improving

your mental health is a multifaceted

strategy there are many things you have

to do but when it all comes together

your journey becomes so much easier this

topic is a difficult one it is a long

one and I'm sure there are many nuances

that I have missed out on in this video

if there are any questions that you have

any other aspects to this conversation

that you want me to cover let me know in

the comments below I'm pretty sure that

I will be making more videos in this

series of how to improve your mental

health in the meantime if you like this

video hit the like button subscribe to

the channel share this video series with

your friends and your family on your

WhatsApp groups I truly believe that

this is a conversation that needs to

happen in our families especially in

India where awareness of mental health

is still

not as much as we would like it to be I

will see you all in the next video bye

everyone take care