Is the lionization of the physical health business overshadowing mental health?
“What mental health needs are more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” - Glenn Close
I am sure reading this blog article would motivate you to take charge of your mental health with a little more involvement.
Nordic Oil wishes you a Happy Mental Health awareness month! 😊
Institutional framework for Mental Health
In the year 1949, the National Association for Mental Health, in the United States of America established Mental Health Month and is observed in May every year. Their objectives were focussed on developing awareness about the importance of mental health, and celebrating recovery from mental illness, through media, events, outreach activities, and distribution of a toolkit of material that could guide and touch millions of Americans’ lives.
And NAMI ( National Alliance on Mental Illness)- is America’s largest grassroot mental health organization dedicated to support, serve, and treat mental illness.
According to WHO, one in four of the world’s population suffers from different mental, behavioral, neurological disorders, drug abuse, epilepsy, dementia, mental retardation, schizophrenia, and stress-related disorders.
The rationality behind this is that improved health care and advancements in medical facilities have increased life expectancy which has impacted an increase in the population that has to face exposure to morbidity due to mental health problems. WHO also reports that the mental component of health has deteriorated.
To address this issue WHO initiated Nations for Mental Health in 1995, within the UN system designed to address mental health in underserved populations.
Some Alarming Statistics
1) According to a study on world mental health facts and figures,
- 264–300 million individuals worldwide live with depression;
- 284–300 million live with anxiety-related disorders;
- 46–60 million live with bipolar affective disorder;
- 20–23 million live with schizophrenia;
- 16 million live with eating disorders.
2) World Bank’s Development Report estimated that 8% of the global burden of disability and morbidity in the world is due to mental and neurological disorders, and 42% behavior related illness.
3) A study focusing on mental illness: is there really a global epidemic? Reports figures based on the Institute for Health Metrics Evaluation (IHME) that:
- Under 300 million people worldwide suffered from anxiety,
- 160 million people from a major depressive disorder
- 100 million from Dysthymia
- 971 million people – suffer from some kind of mental disorder.
- Dementia is the fastest-growing mental illness.
Do you feel the pinch of the marketing effect of physical activity promotion in business and Industry?
I would like to bring reference to a research study in this context.
On the one hand, organizations are increasing weightage to implement employee programs that promote healthy levels of physical activity in worksite settings like providing gym facilities, offering corporate membership in health clubs, encouraging sports activities, etc.
This change in approach in the work culture is being implemented to offset absenteeism, reduce sick leave, ill-health effects, health care costs, or disability, etc. which are often seen as a consequence of sedentary nature of work, undue pressure to increase work efficiency, minimize redundancy, etc.
On the other hand, just observe the inflating physical fitness bubble. The increase in health clubs worldwide has significantly influenced the demand patterns of people. For example, from the year 2009 to 2014, the number of health clubs increased from 128,500 to 183,000 worldwide.
Europe has the second-largest amount of health clubs, 8000 in Germany, 6600 in Italy, 6000 in the UK, 40,710 in North America majority located in the United States (biggest health club market in the world)
Therapeutic Role Of Cannabidiol in Mental Health
According to a 2020 study on the therapeutic application of CBD for the treatment of psychiatric disorders, it recommends the use of CBD for the treatment of schizophrenia, social anxiety disorder and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). And a limited number of available studies recommend CBD for insomnia, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Tourette syndrome.
There is a growing body of research interest that has been specializing in studying specific receptors and the therapeutic effects of medical cannabis in dealing with different disorders.
The outcome of the study emphasizes policy development and an impetus to pharmaceutical research in this field to create better and wider opportunities for large scale research.
In a 2019 study, some participants of a public speaking task were ingested with CBD before the event, the results showed that they had reduced levels of stress. Similarly, in another study 47 adults diagnosed with anxiety also showed a rapid decrease in symptoms.
The wide-range use of CBD makes it highly versatile in treatment for a cheaper cost than traditional medications.
Key Takeaways From Statistics & Research
Extensive research has disabled the previous stereotypical incomplete judgments about CBD and has started to prove its therapeutic benefits. This has led many countries to adopt CBD based medications to treat a wide range of medical conditions.
Summary
- Understand about the ECS and how CBD works on our body.
- Just being grateful and appreciative of life and people around you can have amazing benefits on mental health
- I have shared my personal revelation moment with CBD, share yours too!
- Increase your awareness about various mental health issues, and initiate yourself to seek help, discuss and develop a conversation with friends and family.
Some free of cost remedies that promote good mental health:
- Go back to childhood days, ignite the innocent child in you, read Aesop’s fables.
The Charcoal-Burner and the Fuller, The Ass and the Grasshopper, The Ass Eating Thistles, and so on. All of these fables had a moral at the end that would reinforce qualities of kindness, patience, good deeds, living mindfully, and many more life messages. Probably if we were too young to understand the depth of these fables, it would be a great idea to read them now!
- Laugh aloud, never mind if it is for stupid things, abstain from hiding spontaneous emotions. Never fear being judged. Live for yourself. Remember the golden rule, ‘You are your first best friend’,
- We are now used to texting a lot instead of speaking, re-develop courage, and practice speaking openly. A psychology report says that 90% of people text things that they can’t say in person.
- Observe people around you, be it your friend or family member. If you notice any change in their behavior or moods, talk to them, go the extra mile to understand them.
- Singing and listening to music reduces anxiety and changes the way you perceive the world around you.
- Gift your friends, help others, random acts of kindness bring happiness and can elevate your moods and also make you feel important.
- Making others happy is the biggest happiness that one can experience.