How to protect and understand the state of your mental health | Opinion

Tom Starling

July 6, 2022 at 8:00 AM·4 min read

Since the start of the pandemic, more people are talking about mental health.

This helps us all to realize that mental health is an important component of your overall health and well-being — just like your physical health. Unfortunately, mental health conditions, resources and conversations can still feel complicated and out of reach.

Did you know that?

Nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States live with a mental health condition.
Depression is the leading cause of disability in the world and is a leading contributor to suicide.
Suicide is the 9th leading cause of death in Tennessee, and it’s the second leading cause of Tennessee adolescents.
Half of all lifetime mental illnesses begin by the age of 14, with 75% by the age of 24.

Mental Health America of the MidSouth works to reverse these trends and helps save lives.

Many people are learning about mental health topics for the first time. Having a widespread understanding of the topic can help you be more informed if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health condition or crisis.

Around half of the people in the U.S. will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition at some point in their life, so everyone should know about the signs, risk factors and prevention. Mental Health America of the Midsouth provides an array of tools, resources and programs to help reduce the stigma around mental health struggles that can prevent individuals from seeking help.

Debunking the stigma associated with mental health

Everyone should have the support they need to thrive and flourish. Communities that have been historically and presently oppressed face a deeper mental health burden because of the added impact of trauma, oppression and harm; and because the stigma associated with mental health may be more pronounced in some communities and cultures.

More Middle Tennessee children, from birth to age 5, are receiving early diagnosis and treatment for a wide range of mental health conditions based on federal grant funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

There’s often no one single cause for a mental health condition. Instead, there are many possible risk factors that can influence how likely a person is to experience a mental health condition or how serious the symptoms may be.

Some risk factors for mental health conditions include: trauma, which can be a one-time event or ongoing; your environment and how it impacts your health and quality of life—also known as social determinants of health like financial stability and health care access; genetics; brain chemistry; and your habits and lifestyle such as a lack of sleep.

Of course, understanding the risk factors for a mental health condition can be more difficult when it’s your own mental health. Take time to ask yourself about your thoughts, feelings and behaviors to see if this is part of a pattern that may be caused by a mental health condition.

Here are some questions to get you started:

Have your sleeping habits or appetite noticeably increased or decreased?
Does the idea of doing daily tasks like making your bed now feel really, really hard?
Have you lost interest in activities and hobbies you used to enjoy?
Do you feel irritated, possibly to the point of lashing out at people you care about?

Our society focuses much more on physical health than mental health, but both are equally important. If you are concerned about your mental health, there are several options available.

You are not alone. Help is out there and recovery is possible. It may be hard to talk about your concerns, but simply acknowledging to yourself that you’re struggling is a really big step.

Taking a free, anonymous, online screen at www.MHAscreening.org can help you to better understand what you are experiencing and get helpful resources.

Your state. Your stories. Support more reporting like this.
A subscription gives you unlimited access to stories across Tennessee that make a difference in your life and the lives of those around you. Click here to become a subscriber.

After that, consider talking to someone you trust about your results, and seek out a professional to find the support you need. While you may not need this information today, knowing the basics about mental health will mean you’re prepared if you ever need it.

Attend to your mental health by taking time for yourself each day, helping to create awareness about the importance of mental health, sharing tools and resources with others and supporting organizations like Mental Health America MidSouth.

Tom Starling, EdD, has served as the CEO of Mental Health America of the MidSouth since 2009. Tom holds degrees in psychology, theology, ethics, and educational administration. He has previously served as CEO of the Middle Tennessee Alzheimer’s Association, as CEO of United Way of Rutherford County, and as a university administrator and hospital chaplain for institutions in Texas and Tennessee.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mental health awareness: Know your risk factors and mind your wellness

Associated Press
A Russian man stands treason trial on charges he filmed military equipment for Ukraine
A Russian man faced trial on Thursday on charges of high treason for a video he had allegedly sent to Ukraine's security services, the latest in a growing series of espionage cases amid the fighting in Ukraine. The Volgograd District Court began hearing a new case against Nikita Zhuravel, who is currently serving a 3.5-year sentence for publicly burning a Quran in front of a mosque. The new charges against Zhuravel are based on allegations that he filmed a trainload of military equipment and warplanes in 2023 and sent the video to a representative of Ukraine’s security agency.
AFP
Uganda TikToker convicted for insulting president
A Ugandan court has convicted a 21-year-old content creator for calling for the public flogging of President Yoweri Museveni on video-sharing platform TikTok, a state prosecutor said on Thursday. In July, another 21-year-old TikToker was sentenced to six years in prison for insulting Museveni, who has ruled Uganda with an iron fist since he toppled president Milton Obote in 1986.
AFP
Thousands flee as Typhoon Usagi hits north Philippines
Typhoon Usagi slammed into the Philippines' already disaster-ravaged north on Thursday, as authorities rushed to evacuate thousands of people from flood-prone areas.- 'Forced evacuations' - Elsewhere in Cagayan, officials worked in driving rain Thursday to evacuate residents along the coasts and on the banks of already swollen rivers.
AFP
As Trump returns, African exporters torn between hope and horror
Citrus growers in South Africa are among the businesses most nervous that duty- and quota-free exports to the United States could be scrapped next year when Donald Trump returns to the White House.Another South African citrus company told AFP on condition of anonymity that if AGOA were not renewed, it would "kill" their business, which employed more than 3,000 people and exported an average of 350 containers of sorbet products per year to the United States.
AFP
Burberry launches turnaround plan as posts loss
Troubled British fashion house Burberry on Thursday announced cost-cutting plans after posting a loss, with the global luxury sector pressured by weak Chinese demand.China is the world's biggest spender in the luxury sector, accounting for half of global sales.
USA TODAY
Man is 'not dead anymore' after long battle with IRS, which mistakenly labeled him deceased
Phil Anderson found out his social security number was switched with his late daughter’s, and the government had labeled him deceased.
Reuters
Trump’s victory could ease regulatory path for Musk’s robotaxi, but hurdles remain
As Tesla’s electric-vehicle sales have flattened this year, CEO Elon Musk has increasingly staked the company’s future on his vision for self-driving robotaxis, despite the massive technological and regulatory obstacles in delivering them. Now Musk - as one of President-elect Donald Trump's biggest backers - may have the influence to help break through those regulatory roadblocks. Tesla currently faces a diverse landscape of state driverless-vehicle laws that Musk blasted in an Oct. 23 earnings call, calling it “incredibly painful to do it state-by-state.”
Associated Press
Pakistan court rejects plea for acquittal from former premier Imran Khan and his wife in graft case
A Pakistani court on Thursday rejected a plea for acquittal from former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has been held in prison for more than a year in a graft case, a defense lawyer said. The court order was another blow to Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi, who were accused of retaining and selling state gifts in violation of government rules when he was in power. The couple will be formally indicted in the case on Nov. 18 when the next court hearing is held.
Associated Press
AP PHOTOS: Thick smog shrouds Asian cities
Thick smog shrouded New Delhi and other cities around South and Southeast Asia as air pollution levels soared Thursday. Air pollution in the region worsens particularly in winter when the burning of crop residue in agricultural areas coincides with cooler temperatures that trap the smoke. The smoke is blown into cities, where there are more people and where auto emissions further add to the pollution.
Associated Press
Head of UN's nuclear watchdog visits Iran as Mideast wars and Trump's return raise worries
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned Thursday that the “space for negotiation and diplomacy ... is getting smaller” over Iran's advancing atomic program as wars in the Mideast rage on and as President Donald Trump will return to the White House. Rafael Mariano Grossi of the IAEA was visiting Tehran in an effort to restore his inspectors' access to Iran's program and answer still-outstanding questions over it, as he has on previous trips with limited success since Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the Islamic Republic's nuclear deal with world powers.
USA TODAY
Could Trump's win tank Biden's stances guns, transgender care with Supreme Court?
A new Trump administration could change course on Supreme Court cases over transgender care for minors and untraceable "ghost guns."
Politico
Eric Adams’ pal in crosshairs of law enforcement got hefty pay raise
Jesse Hamilton’s pay bump went well beyond a standard increase given to all managerial employees.
CNN
Protecting Trump in a second administration presents unprecedented security challenges
As Donald Trump conducts a free-wheeling transition from his Mar-a-Lago estate, drawing flocks of business moguls, contractors, foreign dignitaries and anyone looking for jobs in the new administration, the federal agencies charged with protecting the president-elect and his communications face a daunting task.
Associated Press
Middle East latest: Israel says 15 trucks carrying aid have been allowed into northern Gaza
Israel says 15 trucks carrying aid have been allowed into northern Gaza, where aid groups have warned that a monthlong Israeli offensive could cause a famine. The trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday with aid from the United Arab Emirates, said the military body handling aid deliveries into the territory, COGAT. It said the aid consisted of food and water as well as hygiene, shelter and medical supplies.
Associated Press
French weapons system found in Sudan is likely violation of U.N. arms embargo, says Amnesty
Armored vehicles manufactured by the United Arab Emirates and equipped with French defense systems have been captured by the Sudanese army during the civil war in Sudan, Amnesty International says. The rights group said in a report on Thursday it had identified the UAE-made armored personnel carriers (APCs) in various parts of Sudan, including the Darfur region, where they were used by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in its fight with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).
AFP
Spain flood epicentre survives fresh rain alert
Spain's traumatised Valencia region woke up unscathed after an overnight rain alert on Thursday, two weeks after the country's deadliest floods in decades killed more than 200 people there.The October 29 disaster killed 223 people -- almost all in the Valencia region -- and destroyed infrastructure and homes, with the final cost expected to soar to tens of billions of euros.
Reuters
India to probe e-scooter maker Ola Electric over service, product standards
(Reuters) -India's top product certification agency will investigate e-scooter maker Ola Electric's deficiency in service standards and product issues, India's consumer affairs secretary told Reuters on Thursday. Last month, the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) sent Ola Electric a notice seeking an explanation from the SoftBank-backed company after the consumer rights agency received an unusually high 10,000 complaints.
Associated Press
South African government says it won't help 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine
South Africa's government says it will not help about 4,000 illegal miners inside a closed mine in the country's North West province as part of an official policy against illegal mining. The miners in the mineshaft in Stilfontein are believed to be suffering from a lack of food, water and other basic necessities after police closed off the entrances used to transport their supplies underground. It is part of the police's Vala Umgodi, or Close the Hole, operation, which includes cutting off miners' supplies to force them to return to the surface and be arrested.
Reuters
Sudan war deaths are likely much higher than recorded, researchers say
More than 61,000 people are estimated to have died in Khartoum state during the first 14 months of Sudan's war, with evidence suggesting the toll from the devastating conflict is significantly higher than previously recorded, according to a new report by researchers in Britain and Sudan. The estimate includes some 26,000 people who suffered violent deaths, a higher figure than one currently used by the United Nations for the entire country. The preprint study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Sudan Research Group, released on Wednesday before peer review, suggested that starvation and disease are increasingly becoming the leading causes of death reported across Sudan.
CNN
FBI offers $25,000 reward for information on ballot box fires in Washington and Oregon
The FBI is offering up to $25,000 in exchange for information about the suspect they believe set fire to several ballot boxes in the Pacific Northwest during early voting last month.

Debunking the stigma associated with mental health

Latest Stories