It’s time to talk about what we refuse to talk about… our mental health.

Mental Health is a big part that affects our lives, our relationships, and our career. But why do we act like it’s got no impact on our overall health & life plans?

Today on the first ever episode of Our Mental Health Matters Podcast, your host, Dr Lade, discusses and talks about how important is mental health. Understanding and being aware of not just yours, but everyone’s mental health is very vital. By knowing the facts and ins & outs of how our mental health works, we are able to take the appropriate steps & make sure that we function healthily. We are able to support our loved ones that may be suffering from a mental illness and help them cope.

Dr Lade emphasizes, just like having a healthy lifestyle and a fit physique, maintaining a good mental health should also be a habit and a part your everyday routine. Learn today the difference between mental health and mental illness, the benefits of having a mental health, and many more.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What is mental health?
  • “Mental health is our psychological, social, and emotional well-being. It’s a state of emotional well-being in which a person can have satisfaction, contentment despite all the problems, challenges, and upheavals of life.”
  • WHO: “It is a state of well-being in which we can realize our abilities. We can cope with the normal stresses of life, we can work productively and fruitfully, and we can make contributions to our community.”
• Mental Health is the centre of everything we do in life. It’s related to how we handle ups and downs that come with our day-to-day activities.
• It is also a big part of our relationships with our loved ones, at work, and with acquaintances.
• There are different ways of learning but our mental health is key to being able to learn. It determines how we learn and develop our minds. It is also our psychological state.
• “Mental Health does not mean the absence of mental illness.”
  • Mental illness dysfunction within the brain that negatively affects our thoughts, our emotions, our behaviours. It interferes with our ability to live a fully functioning life.
• Identify emotions (i.e. anger) and the triggers that could be detrimental to our mental health. Avoid the triggers so we ensure that our mental health functions properly.

BEST MOMENTS

• “It determines how we act and how are actions inadvertently develop from our thought processes.”
• “Our mental health is related to our mind’s functioning in everyday life.”
• “Mental illness is not related to weakness, as perceived by some.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

• World Health Organization (WHO)
• National Health Service (NHS)

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omalade Amaka Abuah is a Specialist Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Health Service (NHS). She is a medical doctor with a passion for mental health matters in children and adolescents.

Dr Lade aims to reach out to everyone and encourage learning about mental health through the Our Mental Health Matters Podcast. A better understanding of mental health is the first step in helping your loved one cope with mental illness, improve his mental health, and live his best life.

CONTACT METHOD

• Dr Lade’s Twitter
• Dr Lade’s LinkedIn

For a person who’s on his phone all of the time checking work emails, answering calls, and arranging schedules, sleep might be the last thing he’ll choose to do for the day. You should know that every person NEEDS sleep. So, today on Our Mental Health Podcast, Dr Lade concentrates on how it’s beneficial to your mental health.

Sleep is a biological necessity. It helps us recover and regain the energy we use from the day before so that we can be fully-functioning on the following day. Know some great strategies to get the best out of a good sleep. Some of her tips were following a specific time for sleeping and waking up, setting up your sleeping quarters, and avoiding things that can interfere sleep beforehand. Having a good sleep is a good way to avoid chronic mental illness in the future.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• 3 Brain States:
  • Wakefulness – when we do our activities
  • Non-REM
  • REM
• How much sleep do we need? It depends on our age. A baby sleeps for 16-18 hours a day. Kids sleep for around 10 hours a day. Most adults should sleep at a minimum of 6 hours of sleep.
• You have to know what works for you. You have to make sure you’re not sleep-deprived to function fully on the next day. It helps to retain information and lets you perform better.
• Sleep is needed for thermal regulation, energy conservation, metabolism regulation, immune function, etc.
• Avoid things that can interfere. Stress and anxiety can make you restless through the night. Caffeine, alcohol, and certain medications make it for you to difficult to sleep.
• The sleeping environment is important as it sets the foundation for sleeping. Your bedroom should be comfortable and clutter-free. Keep away gadgets an hour before to not let the light interfere with melatonin production.
• Follow a specific time when you go to sleep & wake up every day. Have relaxing activities before bedtime, like having a bath, listening to classical music, etc.

BEST MOMENTS

• Why do we need sleep? “It’s a very important part of our life. It’s a very important part of our functioning. It’s a very important part of our mental health. It’s a very important part of our productivity and fruitfulness.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omalade Amaka Abuah is a Specialist Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Health Service (NHS). She is a medical doctor with a passion for mental health matters in children and adolescents.

Dr Lade aims to reach out to everyone and encourage learning about mental health through the Our Mental Health Matters Podcast. A better understanding of mental health is the first step in helping your loved one cope with mental illness, improve his mental health, and live his best life.

CONTACT METHOD

• Dr Lade’s Twitter
• Dr Lade’s LinkedIn

Maybe you’ve heard it before that having the right mindset is a good predictor of success. Do you believe so? So, how do we know what IS the right mindset?

In today’s episode of Our Mental Health Podcast, Dr Lade discusses everything you need to about the mindset so you can achieve more in every aspect of your life. Discover the two basic mindsets discovered by Dr Carol Dweck: the fixed & growth mindset. Learn how your mindset is rooted in your beliefs about learning and thriving. It’s important that early on you’ve already identified your type of mindset so you know how you can improve your ways and eventually attain greater achievement.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What is the mindset? According to Dr Lade, the mindset is the inclination towards a particular thing which is based on our set of beliefs. Our beliefs play a huge part in what we want or how we accomplish them.
• There are two types of mindsets, the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.
  • Fixed – being successful is inborn
  • Growth – hard work and effort can make a huge difference
• How do we identify our mindset?
  • Know what your views are in that particular aspect of life.
  • Know where your views came from.
  • Recognize that there are wrong beliefs to start with.

BEST MOMENTS

• “Our mindset defines who we are and what we become.”
• “Learning and improving skills will make the difference between being successful and unsuccessful.”
• “We have to be able to identify our views around the aspects of our lives. Once we’ve identified it, then we can sit down, think, and reflect how did I arrive at these views.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omalade Amaka Abuah is a Specialist Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Health Service (NHS). She is a medical doctor with a passion for mental health matters in children and adolescents.

Dr Lade aims to reach out to everyone and encourage learning about mental health through the Our Mental Health Matters Podcast. A better understanding of mental health is the first step in helping your loved one cope with mental illness, improve his mental health, and live his best life.

CONTACT METHOD

• Dr Lade’s Twitter
• Dr Lade’s LinkedIn

Let Dr Lade clarify every misconception and debunk every myth you’ve heard about depression.

Listen in to another episode of Our Mental Health Matters Podcast to learn the real deal about depression. Dr Lade talks about its clinical definition, its symptoms, and its treatments. Depression is a mental disorder and it isn’t just a form of sadness as some would say. This should be a good eye-opener for everyone, especially for those who may be not aware that they have a depressed loved one. Make sure to take mental notes as Dr Lade shares the symptoms of depressions. There are also great tips for you so you can learn to be supportive of your depressed loved one.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Depression is twice as common in women than in men.
• Depression comes in episodes.
• Contributing factors in depression:
  • Significant hereditability – “There’s a 40% chance of developing depression if there’s a family member who has depression already.”
  • Environmental factors – negative life events, early adversity, neglect & abuse, traumatic events
  • Psycho-social factors – socio-isolation & negative interpersonal relationships
• Depressed people easily lose concentration and focus. Most of the time, it’s difficult for them to complete tasks. They also feel reduced self-esteem, low self-confidence, and unworthiness.
• In terms of treatment, we approach it in 3 ways: biological, sociological, and psychological.
  • Biological – treatments through medications that increase certain chemicals in certain parts of the brain.
  • Psychological – CBD therapy, intrapersonal therapy, etc. (depending on symptoms)
  • Sociological – support from family, loved ones, and friends.
• Tips in helping loved ones with depression:
  • Seek them out to talk.
  • Listen closely.
  • Do not judge.
  • Pay close attention when they’re on a depressive episode.
  • Spot the triggers & early warning signs.

BEST MOMENTS

• "Depression is a health problem. It is not just a state of the mind like some people think. it can affect anyone."
• “One in four women will experience depression in their lifetime. One in five people will experience depression in their lifetime.”
• “People who become depressed lose interest in activities they used to do – they used to find enjoyment in.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omalade Amaka Abuah is a Specialist Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Health Service (NHS). She is a medical doctor with a passion for mental health matters in children and adolescents.

Dr Lade aims to reach out to everyone and encourage learning about mental health through the Our Mental Health Matters Podcast. A better understanding of mental health is the first step in helping your loved one cope with mental illness, improve his mental health, and live his best life.

CONTACT METHOD

• Dr Lade’s Twitter
• Dr Lade’s LinkedIn

It’s a hard pill to swallow but people view individuals with anxiety disorders as weak, overthinkers, non-risk-takers, etc. Just so you know, it’s very hard to function at work, at school, or even at home for people experiencing anxiety. Anxiety disorder is a mental illness and it’s time to know if you or anyone around you is struggling from it.

This episode of Our Mental Health Matters Podcast should be a good start in understanding the basics of anxiety disorders. Dr Lade dives deep in the major types, the symptoms, and the treatments. She emphasizes that anxiety disorders are highly treatable. Start learning and informing your loved ones about these. Ask for medical help and be supportive for every individual who experiences anxiety.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• “Anxiety disorder is the most common psychiatric disorder. Globally, 1 out of 13 people will have a form of anxiety disorder.”
• Anxiety is associated with inappropriate fear.
• Major types of anxiety: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Specific Phobia, Panic Disorder
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder – excessive worry & excessive apprehension about general things; occurs in most days for a minimum of 6 months
  • Social Phobia – extreme apprehension in social situations; complete withdrawal from society
  • Specific Phobia – fear of one particular object
  • Panic Disorder – recurrent panic attacks
• Anxiety disorders are highly treatable.
  • Psychological – talking or behavioural therapies that address their thoughts and emotions
  • Biological – medications that are effective to remove anxiety for short-term
  • Sociological – making changes in the environment to accommodate the individual
• How do you help a loved one with an anxiety disorder?
  • Ensure that they take their prescribed medication.
  • Make them write their thoughts in a diary.
  • Help them on ways to relax.
  • Encourage them to keep a daily routine.

BEST MOMENTS

• “Shyness is different from social phobia... In shyness, people can still go into social situations… the fear or anxiety in shyness is not that extreme.”
• “Do not expect the changes to happen overnight. As highly treatable as anxiety disorders are, we have to know that it will take time for the treatment to kick in.”
• “It’s important for people who have anxiety to have a daily routine. This is very paramount because having a daily routine helps prepare their minds on what’s going to happen, helps them more for situations they’re going to face during the day, and helps their mind be at rest.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omalade Amaka Abuah is a Specialist Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Health Service (NHS). She is a medical doctor with a passion for mental health matters in children and adolescents.

Dr Lade aims to reach out to everyone and encourage learning about mental health through the Our Mental Health Matters Podcast. A better understanding of mental health is the first step in helping your loved one cope with mental illness, improve his mental health, and live his best life.

CONTACT METHOD

• Dr Lade’s Twitter
• Dr Lade’s LinkedIn

Bipolar disorders are difficult to diagnose for medical professionals because of their complex overlapping symptoms. So, in this episode of Our Mental Health Matters Podcast, Dr Lade simplifies the intricacies and nuances of bipolar disorders to make it easily understandable for everyone. This discussion can help you to be more aware and sensitive to the people around you.

Discover also today the distinct differences between the various types of bipolar disorders. They’re considered difficult to treat with medication & therapy but there are ways where you could help them in handling their low and high periods. Listen to Dr Lade’s tips today and remember that little things you do for them can actually help them improve their mental health.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Bipolar Disorder used to be known as manic depression, is a mental disorder that occurs as mood changes or episodes – from high moods (mania) to low moods (depressive/hypomania) to mixed (low & high occur together)
• The different types:
  • Bipolar I – high episode that will last for more than a week
  • Bipolar II – malformed of the high episodes in Type I
  • Cyclothymia – when people have mood changes but they are not as full-blown as the first two
  • Rapid cycling – 4 or more episodes (mania or depression) in one year
• Difficulties during depressive episodes:
  • losing interest, lacking motivation
  • socially withdrawn, easily fatigued
  • spontaneous crying spells
• Difficulties during high episodes:
  • Extreme happiness and excitement
  • Excitement on unrealistic ideas
  • Bossy, Irritable, Making unrealistic plans
  • Excessive spending spree
• Mood stabilizers are medications prescribed to individuals with bipolar disorders. There are several types of mood stabilizers and it’s different for every individual so it’s best to directly ask a clinician.
• Maintain a healthy lifestyle. Have a balanced diet and have a sufficient amount of fluids. Exercise every day.

BEST MOMENTS

• “Monitoring your loved ones is absolutely vital. Know their triggers. Know their recovery and relapse indicators.”
• “Nurture positive relationships and avoid negative relationships.”
• “We have to keep an eye on their level of activities. We don’t want high impulsivity… We don’t want them making bigger odd decisions that will affect them for the rest of their life.”

ABOUT THE HOST

Dr Omalade Amaka Abuah is a Specialist Registrar in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Health Service (NHS). She is a medical doctor with a passion for mental health matters in children and adolescents.

Dr Lade aims to reach out to everyone and encourage learning about mental health through the Our Mental Health Matters Podcast. A better understanding of mental health is the first step in helping your loved one cope with mental illness, improve his mental health, and live his best life.

CONTACT METHOD

• Dr Lade’s Twitter
• Dr Lade’s LinkedIn