Mental Health
A condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling, behavior or mood. These conditions deeply impact day-to-day living and may also affect the ability to relate to others.
Mental health
When is it a good time to reach out for help?
ALL THE TIME!! It is a good time to reach out at any point in your life for support. It is never too late.
Why don’t some people share negative feelings such as sadness, being hurt, and frustration?
Worried about being judged, or laughed at or seen as vulnerable. This can be due to the stigma around dealing with our mental health.
True or False: medication is the only treatment method that works for mental health problems.
False: medication can be helpful, but therapy and counseling are also effective forms of overcoming mental illness.
When you are upset, what helps you feel better?
All answers are acceptable!
True or False.
What you eat does not affect how you feel.
True and false. Eating proper food, exercise, hydration, and doing something you enjoy can improve your mental health for the day. With mental illnesses like depression, this can be out of the person's control. If that is the case, you can just do your best to take care of yourself.
This is a common and serious mental health issue that makes individuals feel negative about themselves and life. It can also show in a physical sense for individuals through change in sleep, appetite, and energy.
Depression
Name a few ways we can take care of ourselves and improve our mental health.
Medication, Counselling, Coping skills, self-care, setting boundaries, prioritizing sleep, staying active, eating well, being mindful/gratitude, connect with others, and saying no.
This is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.
Mindfulness
What are two things that can improve and promote ones mental health?
Exercise, mindfulness, positive friendships, talking about your problems, having an outlet for anger and frustration, getting enough sleep, eating healthy
What is black and white thinking?
It involves dividing everything into clear-cut categories, such as good or bad, right or wrong, success or failure, without considering the nuances or complexities in between.
What vitamin creates mood-regulating neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin?
Vitamin B (B6, B9, & B12)
Name as many organizations and places to find mental health supports.
Reflections MHG, Camino, CMHA Waterloo Wellington, KW Mental Health & Wellness, Bayridge Counselling Centres, Well Beings Counselling, etc.
Expressing good things from your day is a coping strategy known as ________
Gratitude / positive psychology
What is trauma? And is it experienced the same for everyone?
Does everyone in the world experience anxiety or only people suffering with other mental health disorders?
Everyone
Name ways to practice your self-care
Doing the things you love, being patient with yourself, and kind self-talk.
True or False
You cannot help someone with a mental illness.
False. You can help support someone who is struggling with mental illness by being there for them and asking them what they need from you in order to support them. REMEMBER, if you do not have the space to support someone it is OKAY. Make sure to take care of yourself before you take care of others.
what does MDD stand for?
Major Depressive Disorder
What behaviours can happen when you suppress feelings?
Emotional outbursts (yelling, fighting, crying), Maladaptive coping mechanisms, Isolation, passive-aggressiveness, overreactions, emotional numbing, and burnout.
What does ACES stand for? And what does ACES mean?
Adverse Childhood Experiences. Traumatic or stressful events that happen before the age of 18.
What is important to remember when you become angry?
STOP and think before acting - Respond don't react - Practice coping skills (deep breathing, counting, self-talk, etc.) - Walk away and remove yourself from the situation if needed
What are some symptoms of depression ?
sadness, crying spells, loss of interest, fatigue, change in sleep or appetite, feeling of being irritable or frustrated, difficulty concentrating, suicidal ideation, and unexplained pains (headaches, back pain, and digestive issues).
What is a support system?
A network of people. This can include family, friends, co-workers, mentors, or romantic partners.
What does CBT stand for?
Cognitive behavioral therapy
What are symptoms of anxiety?
overthinking, overwhelmed, racing heart, persistent worry, sweating, nausea.
What is mindfulness?
being aware being in the present moment
Name five coping skills.
Exercise
Meditation
Journaling
Listening to music
Spending time in nature
Has anyone struggled with their mental health before?
Me too!
Are phobias considered a mental illness?
Yes, it is a specific type of anxiety that involves intense irrational and persistent fear of an object, situation, or event that significantly impacts a person’s life.