Mental Health Essay

Within this assay, I de disjoint examine the interpretation of cordial health, as well as its connection in our daily lives. I testament be discussing a particular moral health problem which is counterbalance gear under mood incommode. By examining a scenario of a patient who I hold in looked after who is suffering from this psychic problem, and the availcap able word options. I am please to focus in this topic that do a real rest to people lives, closely especially to the patients who atomic number 18 suffering the kind of mental illness. To pull in spaciousy what is mental health, let me first start by braggy the definition of health. Health as define by the World Health Organization, is a complete state of physical, mental and social wellbeing, not merely the absence seizure of disease or infirmity(WHO, 1948).By examining the definition, mavin push asidenot conclude that anyone who is seemingly healthy to their outer appearances plainly in fact may be ther e is a possibility that person may adopt hidden characteristics which may consider or regard them unhealthy. For instance, a person with normal vital signs, suit of this is an individual with normal blood pressure of 120/80mmhg (Uren & Rutherford,2004) ,may be suffering from any degree of fretfulness or first. By assessing the physical health of a person is relatively easy by winning health measurement of the body. Nonetheless, mental and social aspects of health are much to a greater extent difficult to determine. It of necessity a careful and complex assessment to conclude that the individual is mentally healthy. affable health hypothesises a person approach or ability to adapt and respond to life by communicating emotions, giving and receiving ideas, working alone as well as with others, accepting authority, displaying a sense of humour and deal successfully with emotional conflicts (Shives & Issaacs p.6). Another definition of mental health is a state of wellbeing in wh ich individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life productively and fruitfully, and to be able to realise contribution to his or her community (World Health Organization, 2001). It is easy to disregard the intrinsic value of mental health until virtually unusual circumstances or behaviour is noticed. We live in the world full of challenges such as pressure from work, studies, family issues, financial difficulties, relationship problems and poor physical health.These are only hardly a(prenominal) examples that affects individual to perceive and act accordingly to their surroundings. Mentally healthy people who achieve self-actualization are able to have positive self concepts and relate well to people and their environment, form closerelationships with others, make decisions pertaining to candor rather than fantasy, be optimistic and appreciate and bed life (Abraham Maslow, 1970). Problem solving occurs beca hold people are able to make decision pertaining to reality rather than fantasy they are able to appreciate and enjoy life optimism prevails as they respond to people, places, and things in daily encounters they are independent or autonomous in thoughts and action and rely on personal standard of behaviour and values such people are able to face with relative serenity and happiness circumstances that would drive other to self- destructive behaviour, they are creative, using a variety of approaches as they perform tasks or solve problem (cited in Shives, 2002).Mental illness cannot be viewed in isolation from physical functioning the two are inseparable. Memory and science are mental functions, but beca usance they are initiated in the brain, they are also physical function. A replace in brain chemistry- a physical occurence, pay back, perhaps by something as seemingly benign as stress- can cause changes in mental functions that manifest as anxiety, panic attacks, or depression. Physical and mental are two i nseparable components of the complete human visit. In attempting to understand the complexities of mental illness, it is fundamental to understand that physical and mental, that is, body and mind, cannot exist in isolation from one another ( Marie Thompson,2007 p.5) .Although scientist do not hump exactly what causes mental illness, like cancer, mental illness can strike anyone and variety of causes. Scientist are original that genetic vulnerability plays a role in many mental illness, since the risks of becoming ill is greater if you have a close relative who suffers from depression, bipolar illness, schizophrenia, anxiety or alcoholism among others. However, no item gene has yet been isolated that causes any of this illness (James Hicks, 2005 p.2). Mental illness or mental disorders be as an illness or syndrome with psychological or behavioural manifestation and /or impairment in functioning as a result of a social, psychological, genetic, physical/chemical, or biological di sturbance ( The American Psychiatric Association). picture is an important global public health problem due to two its relatively high life m prevalence and the significant disability that it cause. In 2002, depression accounted for 4.5% of the worldwide arrive burden of disease (in terms of disability- adjusted life year ). It is also responsible for the greatest balance of burden attributable to non-fatal health outcome, accounting for almost 12% of the total years lived with disability worldwide. Without treatment, depression has the tendency to assume a chronic course, to recur, and to be associated with increasing disability overtime (World Health Statistics ,2007, p. 16). Depression is considered a disorder of mood (sometimes called an affective disorder, 2signifying the disturbance of affect) in all widely used classification and diagnostic schemes. In general, a mood disorder represents a departure from what we competency consider to be a typical mood state have a go a t itd by most persons most days of their lives.Depressive disorders are characterized by sad, guilty, remorseful, tired , withdrawn moods and the influence of these moods on a persons day to day behaviour ( Sam Victor et al., p. 6 ). The term depression is used in variety of ways. In everyday language, it is commonly used to describe views of sadness or despondency. These purports are part of normal emotion and may be the consequence of disappointments or failures. As a medical term, depression can refer to a symptom, syndrome or illness. In its usual clinical context, depression denotes a disorder of mood that is distinct from normality.Disorders involving abnormalities of mood used to be called manic-depressive but are now more(prenominal) often termed affective disorders. This is more accurate because only a minority of sufferers experience episode of both mania and depression (bipolar affective disorder) and most have recurrent episodes of depression only (unipolar depressio n) (Malhi, p.1). It is imperative to actualise the severity of depression as it can lead to life threatening such as suicide. hence ,it is important for health professionals to assess the potential risks for this. As presence of depression can sometimes not obvious to clinicians, some symptoms, when saved in combination with the others can clearly indicate that a person is in depression.Symptoms often associated with depressed states include early morning wakening, a feeling of grinding tiredness, acquittance of energy, loss of sexual interest in relationship, loss of appetite, feeling down and feeling of bad snappishness (Alexander et al, 1994). To maintain confidentiality the patients name has been changed to a pseu move intoym, in order to conform to the Nursing and obstetrics Council Code of Conduct (NMC, 2008). I will call my patient Mrs. M is a 35-year-old woman who complained of feeling very low for the last 4 months but always attributes this from being tired from work. She was diagnosed with Sero-posivite Rheumatoid Arthritis quintuple years ago but refused to be treated because she believes her joint pains and inflammation can be cured with only paracetamol . Not until her inflammation was un cut backlable and left some of her joints in hands and feet some deformities. Mrs. M. has a husband and two children who are still very young. She describes that the family relationship is good. She was brought up mostly of her childhood by her grandparents. Mrs. M. worked full-time as a Registered Nurse where she was admitted as a patient. Mrs. M has been in the hospital for some time due to the flare up of her disease and over a week I have looked after her. I can still remember when I first met her, the doctor arranged to give her intravenous steroids infusion. It has to be administered through her peripheral line in her right radial vena by Aseptic Non-Touch Technique (ANTT) (Anonymous, NHS Trust, 2007).This is the protocol to decrease risks of acqui ring infection through intravenous lines. To observe how is this being done, I went with my mentor. At first, we greeted her and introduced ourselves. My mentor explained what we were about to do. I observed that Mrs.M. was calm and only rejoinder when we speak to her. It was discussed by her doctor that after having been given steroids , inflammation of her joints will get better and so improve her mobility but she would have some side effects. Mrs. M. knew these will happen which made her felt hopeful but somehow low and upset. As a nurse herself, she was aware the medication would lower her insubordinate system, could experience mood swings, difficulty sleeping at night, increase her appetite in eating and will contribute in gaining weight. I found it interesting as a student nurse to guide how to respond to a particular situation and observe a patients treatment can improve his/her disease or condition.Every shift I am working , I made sure I go and see Mrs. M. For me always visible and energetic to listen to verbalise her concerns in consistent way will develop a rapport which I learned was very important in a nurse-patient relationship. I can remember there was a day Mrs. M. was feeling so golden and laughing telling me stories about her family in her own family, her favourite hobby making handicrafts and her experience being a nurse. She also told me how her strength differs prior to the diagnosis of her disease. There were times I apothegm Mrs. M. not interested in doing anything for the day. She was only lying down in bed crying cross in trying to get out of bed independently. She was irritated expressing she did not wish anybody to be adjoining her if not her own doctor or assigned staff nurse. It has been reported she never sleeps soundly at night and always seen sitting at the bedside seemed in deep thoughts. The curtain around her bed was remained close all the time.As her student nurse, I made sure I frequently checked and asked if she was needing any help. Whenever she was renty to speak , I was there for her. During one of my conversation with her , I have learnt that she used to be being independent with her activities of daily living and looking after her family. She rarely asked for other peoples help. Since she suffered from the disease, she had some deformities in different joints of her hands and feet which added to her mobility problems. She had mentioned to me how she felt frustrated when she cannot complete her household chores. Mrs.M. remembered the day told by doctor to commence on anti-depressant tablet because she was diagnosed with mild depression, she was very scared her family and friends to know. She had decided not to sell any medication for her depression.After few days of looking after her she is somewhat different from our first face-off. She became more relaxed,expressing her interests in eating her food, more energy when meeting people, good eye contact and happy whiletalking. To active ly listen to Mrs. M was showing her that I can be always ready to listen and trusted like her family or close friend. Although some patients can be quite baseball field to take medications for their depression , there are some that are referred for counselling. GPs frequently lift themselves in the position of providing emotional brave out, advice and counselling to depressed patients in an effort to give reassurance, warmth and hike . Indeed, this is probably the most common and effective treatment for the majority of patients with mild depression. In this situation, active auditory sense is more important than advice-giving paying attention to non-verbal and hidden messages as well as what the patient is expressing verbally, and feeling empathy for their predicament. It should be noted that much of this support is provided by ministers of religion, voluntary agency and self-help support groups (Wilkinson, G.etal).According to my explore for patient to be emotionally responsiv e, I found out some interventions that nurse can use independently without doctors order. Use a warm, accepting, empathic approach. Be aware of and in control of ones own feelings and reactions (anger,frustration,sympathy). With depressed patient Establish rapport through shared time and supportive companionship. Give the patient time to respond. Personalise care as a way of indicating the patients value as a human being. With the manic patient Give simple, truthful responses. Be alert to viable manipulation. Set constructive limit on negative behaviour. Use a consistent approach by all health-team members. Maintain open communication in sharing of perceptions among team members. Reinforce patients self-control and positive aspects of patients behaviour (Stuart,G.,1998).Within this assignment, I am going to use (Gibbs, 1988) reflective cycle. I choose to use this cycle because it encourages a clear definition of this project. The analysis of the feelings, the military rank and the way to make sense of the experience, and pla what needs to be done in the future. It has helped me demonstrate my ability to reflect on my personal experiences in doing this essay and gave the opportunities to explore my personal learning needs. Before I delay my reflective report ,let me first discuss the importance of reflection. Reflection as defined by ( john, 2000 ) as a window through which a practitioner can view and focus self at heart the context of their own lives experience in a way that enable them to confront, understand and work towards resolving power the contradictions within their practice.Knowing how to reflect is a process for making sense out of all experience (Taylor, 2000 ). For my first assignment, I have to write a reflective project based on what I have learned. We were asked a project focusing on the subject , What is mental health?. At first, I was struggling to figure out what topic to write about the given subject. I started to collect selective inf ormation from vast resources of books but the more I read, it becomes more difficult to put my ideas into writing. I am get more frustrated because I was making little progress. My idea was to sit down and write one long essay and then be finished early.Finally, I decided to write about depression. This essay was about a patient I have encountered and looked after who was diagnosed with sero- positive rheumatoid arthritis. When I wrote this assignment, I have to look back and remembered an interesting nursing experience. Writing this kind of essay was difficult and contend in a way it was emotional and stressful due to time pressure in meeting deadline and juggling placements and family time. I felt more confident now in dealing with my personal issues as well as dealing with my patients physical and emotional needs. I think my writing has improve during this time because of all the different resources and help I have use. With regards to my future assignment, it has broaden my acquaintance in constructing my essay. Instead of collecting vast materials to read, I will be more selective of materials to read and will more focus on the specific subject given. I will do more planning and thinking around the topic as much as possible.The benefit of this approach is that from the start, I can get the sense of the shape my essay will take. To the greater extent, I really enjoyed writing this essay because it is about the professional nursing field which I am pursuing through schooling. I believe that thru studies and placements, I wil develop my capabilities to be a good and proper nurse to help and support every person to be physically, emotionally, socially and mentally healthy. Because of the many things that I have learned and take care from nurses and nursing aids, I feel this reflective essay will help me in my future career.In conclusion, this reflective assignment demonstrates my ability to show and express my feelings concerning different kind of situat ions and difficulties while I am writing this project. By basing my own reflection using Gibbs reflective cycle, it gives me the chance to explore, to improve my skills and knowledge to have a better foundation for the nursing career I am aiming for. Through critical reflecting, I can learn from my mistakes and highlight my knowledge and expertise. Nurture yourself with good nutrition Depression can affect appetite. Appetite is typically decrease and you may loose weight. Sometimes, although appetite is still decrease, you tendto eat for comfort and may gain weight. So you will need to be extra mindful of getting the right nourishment. prim nutrition can influence a persons mood and energy.Identify troubles, but dont dwell on them Try to identify any circumstances that have contributed to your depression. If you know what is the cause and you feel down, why not talk about it with a caring friend. Talking is a way to release the feelings and to receive some understanding. Focus your self and look on the bright side Depression affects a persons thoughts, making everything seem dismal, negative, and hopeless. If depression has cause you negative outlook in life, make an effort to notice the good things life has to offer. Consider your strengths and blessings. Most of all, do not forget to be patient with yourself. Depression takes time to heal.