Mental health is a critical component for overall wellbeing and is essential for a fulfilling life. It affects how individuals understand and respond to the world around them, how they interact with their fellow-beings and how they make decisions.  Good mental wellness enables individuals to adapt to changes, maintain healthy personal and professional relationships and effectively handle stress. However, despite the growing awareness and recognition regarding mental health, many of us still face challenges like fear of societal stigma, inadequate knowledge and lack of convenient facilities and access to good mental health professionals.

All these challenges can be overcome through the revolutionary upgradation of using technology to enhance healthcare access. Telepsychiatry, a branch of telehealth, has emerged as a significant advancement in mental healthcare. This forum provides patients easy and convenient access to psychiatry services remotely. It consists of psychiatrists, psychologists and various other therapists.

Steps to promote mental wellbeing:

let us take a look at some steps that can be taken to promote good mental wellbeing. Getting ample sleep, eating healthy and nutritious meals, regular physical activities and exercise and other self-care practices that are mandatory to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, not hesitating to seek help when needed is an important step in the management of mental wellbeing concerns.

The modern lifestyle is a hectic one. People have no time for in-person consultations with any healthcare professional, be it a general physician or mental health professionals like psychiatrists, psychologists, etc. due to lack of time and long distance, people tend to delay the necessary treatment. This is where telehealth and telepsychiatry stand out. It provides psychiatric assessment and care through online appointments. This allows patients to consult with the right therapist from the comforts of home. Along with various forms of therapy and counselling, telepsychiatry also provides an opportunity for patient education, psychiatric assessments and evaluations, medication management and follow-up consultations.

Sneak-peak into common mental health challenges:

Some commonly encountered mental health conditions include:

1. Anxiety disorders- characterized by excessive fear and apprehension that interferes with everyday activities.
2. Depressive disorders- include Major Depressive Disorders (MDD), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), etc. characterized by feelings of hopelessness, and lack of interest in activities. This indirectly affects appetite, sleep, etc.
3. Bipolar disorder- characterized by extreme changes in activity levels and mood. Includes episodes of mania, euphoria, impulsiveness and irritability.
4. Personality disorders- involve pattern of behaviours, emotions and thought processes that are abnormal.
5. PTSD- generally occurs after a traumatic event. Includes flashbacks, nightmares and avoiding situations that trigger trauma
6. Schizophrenia- characterized by a range of symptoms such as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and abnormal motor behaviour.

In addition to these, many other mental disorders such as OCD, ADHD, substance disorders, etc can impact one’s mental health.

Mental Health Support for Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout Through Online Therapy:

The modern world has transformed drastically and forces overtime work culture, and unrealistic academic and professional outcomes and deadlines. This can lead to burnout, anxiety, stress, etc, which affects the individual and ultimately the organization itself. Mental health support is crucial for navigating through the daily hurdles, whether it be anxiety in personal relationships, grief due to unexpected losses, stress at work or school, it is essential that people are aware of the services available to them in the form of telehealth and telepsychiatry.

These provide online appointments with psychiatrists, psychologists and other therapists who provide precise and timely solutions in the form of therapy, counselling, medication management, lifestyle modifications, etc. they also provide effective techniques and strategies for anger management. Education and sessions about mindfulness, breathing exercises, and various effective tools that help an individual control their temper before the situation escalates is also taught. They also provide family therapy, techniques such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that helps to reframe negative thinking and develop coping strategies.

Along with these, telepsychiatry and telehealth platforms provide psychiatric care that helps one deal with grief, navigate through losses, manage daily life stresses, build healthy relationships, strengthen intimacy and communication, find fulfilment and balance in academic and professional lives. All of these and more can be availed at the comforts of your home. The telepsychiatry platforms provide this space and opportunity, where, unlike the earlier times, one need not spend time to book slots, endure long waiting times, constantly worry about other people noticing, or travel far for the therapy. Psychiatrists, psychologists and other therapists are just a click or call away.

A Guide to Navigating Mental Health Challenges:

1. Basic self-care ideas – this includes paying attention to your sleep, hydration levels, food habits and physical activity levels. The internet provides access to information on navigating mental health in the form of books blog articles, videos etc.
2. Learn to recognize the signs – awareness about mental health, familiarizing yourself with common signs of mental struggles.
3. Building a dependable support network – this can be family, friends, colleagues or support groups. It is important to reach out when you are overwhelmed and when you feel like you can’t handle things yourself.
4. Seek professional help – therapists, counsellors and psychiatrists can provide timely guidance, support and medication tailored to your needs. These services can be availed both in-person and telehealth or telepsychiatry platforms.
5. Setting realistic goals – this is important to provide an individual a sense of direction. It is important to take things slowly, set smaller, achievable goals and celebrate even small achievements.

In this fast-growing world you need to maintain good mental wellness and try to navigate challenges which was created by different unwanted issues.