Mental health knowledge

Mental health is never a static label of "not sick", but rather the dynamic adaptability of an individual to flexibly adjust cognition and balance emotions under different circumstances, neither internalizing oneself nor attacking others - this is also the greatest consensus that all schools of clinical psychology can currently reach.

When I was doing charity science popularization on the street a while ago, I met a little girl who was in her third year of college. She clutched her mobile phone and asked me awkwardly. She had been working on her graduation thesis until two o'clock every day. She couldn't eat and didn't want to go out with friends. Was she suffering from depression?

Don’t tell me, this is also one of the most asked questions in the six years I have been doing consulting. Regarding this question, counselors from different schools have completely different interpretations: A counselor with a psychoanalytic orientation may talk to you. This anxiety may hide your subconscious unknown fear of "entering the society after graduation." The paper is just a trigger; a counselor with a cognitive behavioral (CBT) orientation will most likely help you sort it out first. You are Rather than binding "the paper must be passed in one go" with "I am a qualified graduate", this absolute belief is the source of emotional stress; a counselor with a humanistic orientation may not analyze anything first, but first accompany you to express the emotions you have been holding back for a long time, telling you that "anxiety is so normal, it happens to anyone who rushes to meet a deadline." There is no standard answer, the one that suits you is the best.

Many people's understanding of mental health is either "I didn't jump off a building or commit suicide, so there is no problem", or "I am in a bad mood today, am I sick?" Both extremes are very harmful. Take depression and depression, which are most commonly confused by people. Last week, I stayed up for three long nights because of a bad project. I slumped on the sofa and didn’t even want to touch my favorite spicy crayfish. I watched mourning short videos for three hours and shed tears. This is depression. Normal people have it. If you take it easy for two or three days and go out to have a good meal with friends, you can basically survive. But if this state of being unmotivated lasts for more than two weeks, and you still can't sleep or eat even though there's nothing to worry about, and you even feel like "I'm just a burden," then don't just go to the clinical psychology department of a regular hospital for an investigation. Assessment and intervention are not a shame.

Of the first-time patients I usually receive, at least 60% treat "normal mood swings" as psychological problems for the first time. At first, they were just a little irritable to catch up on projects, but then they turned around and scolded themselves, "Why are you so fragile and can't handle this little pressure?" This was just an extra layer of self-attack, and instead suppressed small emotions into big pimples. Oh, by the way, don’t think on the other hand that “you just have to deal with a bad mood and get over it.” Last year, there was a visitor who was an Internet operator. He suffered from insomnia for almost half a year. Every time, he felt that it was too hard to catch up on the latest version. It wasn’t until one day when he suddenly wanted to hit the guardrail while driving that he realized something was wrong. When he came to see a doctor, he was already moderately depressed and needed medication and psychological counseling. He suffered for several months.

There has been a very controversial issue in the past two years: Should we randomly label children with psychological-related labels? I've seen parents check their children for ADHD when they see that their children can't sit still for five minutes, and then enroll their children in a bunch of concentration training classes, which makes the children tired of studying. I've also seen parents who clearly find that their children can't socialize with their peers, but refuse to go for an evaluation, thinking that "going to the hospital means admitting that my child is sick," which delays the best time for intervention. In fact, the academic community has no unified conclusion on this matter: Most scholars in the educational psychology school believe that casually labeling children with "Asperger's" and "ADHD" will instead give the child negative psychological implications and limit his development; clinically oriented doctors instead believe that only by making a clear diagnosis early can children be given early and appropriate support. Otherwise, the child will always be unable to keep up with the group and will be more likely to develop psychological problems. In the final analysis, there is no absolute right or wrong. The core depends on whether the choice you make is really from the perspective of your child, rather than to relieve your own anxiety.

Tell me a little method that I usually use. If you suddenly feel emotional, whether it is breakdown, anger or anxiety, don't force yourself to "get better soon" or "have positive energy". Just find a corner where no one is and sit for 5 minutes. Touch the keys in your pocket, the watch on your hand, or take a sip of ice drink. Focus on the touch and taste of the moment, and you will soon be able to get out of the emotional whirlpool. I call this little trick "pull yourself up", which is much more effective than 10,000 "You have to be strong".

To put it bluntly, mental health is similar to your usual health care. If you occasionally have a cold or fever, you don’t have to call a specialist. If you have a cough and fever every day, don’t expect to drink hot water and it will be cured. Don’t take it too seriously and don’t take it too seriously. That’s enough. After all, it is the first time for everyone to live, and it is normal to have joys, sorrows, and joys, so there is no need to be too harsh on yourself.