Your mental health consists of your social, psychological and emotional state. Although we sometimes hear the term “mental health” and think about mental illness, “like being crazy” but they are not the same. Mental illness covers disorders that occur in the brain, such as depression, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder among others.
Nigeria has a population of 181 million. It is estimated that as much as 30 percent of the population suffers from a mental illness. Which means that more than 54 million people are dealing with mental illness with little to no help.
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Out of this 30 percent, only about 10 percent of those battling mental illness have access to mental healthcare. Access is mainly limited to cities, leaving the rural areas without resources for psychiatric care. Since half of the population of Nigeria live in rural areas, those people do not have access to mental healthcare. These people are turning to self-medication, self-diagnosis and misunderstanding or denial of their symptoms. Many of those without help are children and adolescents.
Depression is the most common illness that affects mental health In Nigeria. Nigeria is ranked 15 in the number of suicides per year and the most depressed country in Africa.
Today is WorldMentalHealthDay (WMHD). Just like your physical health, taking care of your mental health is also very important and should not be taken lightly.
Here are 10 ways to take care and maintain your mental health
- Talk about your feelings to people who truly care about you.
- Accept who you are and believe that you’re unique than wishing you were more like someone else.
- Do something you are good at and passionate about.
- Keep active: Regular exercise can boost your self-esteem and can help you concentrate, sleep, and feel better.
- Eat well and drink responsibly.
- Socialize and keep in touch with people.
- Take a break and listen to your body. If you’re really tired, give yourself time to sleep. Without good sleep, our mental health suffers.
- Care for others, you will feel good doing so.
- Ask for help from the right source.
- Change your physical state when you find yourself in a depressed or stressed state.
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