May, as Mental Health Awareness Month, Signs Media Kenya Limited joins the national movement in raising awareness about mental health by providing educative and informative topics.
As a media house that advocates for disability inclusion, we are aware that Persons with disabilities face a variety of structural and ideological challenges that have little to do with their actual limitations hence the topic is vital.
Having good mental health means, you are generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life.
On the other hand, poor mental health is characterized by difficulties in thinking, feeling, and reacting which can be as bad as a physical illness.
Mental health disorders include; anger, bipolar, body dysmorphic disorder, borderline personality, depression, eating problems, and hoarding, among others.
The most common and ignored mental health disorder is Borderline Personality Disorder- which happens when one has difficulties with how they think and feel about themselves and other people.
With borderline personality disorder, you have an intense fear of abandonment or instability, and you may have difficulty tolerating being alone.
According to a Mayo Clinic article, Signs and symptoms of borderline disorders may include;
An intense fear of abandonment, even going to extreme measures to avoid real or imagined separation or rejection
A pattern of unstable intense relationships, such as idealizing someone one moment and then suddenly believing the person doesn’t care enough or is cruel
Rapid changes in self-identity and self-image that include shifting goals and values, and seeing yourself as bad or as if you don’t exist at all
Periods of stress-related paranoia and loss of contact with reality, lasting from a few minutes to a few hours
Impulsive and risky behavior, such as gambling, reckless driving, unsafe sex, spending sprees, binge eating or drug abuse, or sabotaging success by suddenly quitting a good job or ending a positive relationship
Suicidal threats or behavior or self-injury, often in response to the fear of separation or rejection
Wide mood swings lasting from a few hours to a few days, which can include intense happiness, irritability, shame, or anxiety
Ongoing feelings of emptiness
Inappropriate, intense anger, such as frequently losing your temper, being sarcastic or bitter, or having physical fights.
When experiencing a mental health problem, always ensure you have access to the right information and around people who will help.