A break down in mental health can affect everything from your job, home and social life. It will also have a huge impact on your overall health.

There is a number of things that can directly affect your mental health and how you feel, some may be impacting your life in a negative way and you may not even be aware of it, anything from your diet to social situations can affect your mental health so lets take a look at what can be done to improve it.

Alcohol

Being a stimulating drug, alcohol can have an effect of euphoria followed by a sharp steep, crash. Ever had one of those hangovers where you feel so bad that you promise you are never drinking ever again? Or the late night anxiety on Sunday after a weekend of over doing it? This is because alcohol has a huge effect on your mental and physical health. Alcohol is also extremely addictive, in fact a lot of alcohol dependent people dont actually realise they are. This is thought to be down to the culture we have of socialising with alcohol or having a bottle of wine on an evening to unwind. When enjoyed responsibly alcohol can be a fun and social lubricant but using alcohol as an escape from your emotional state could be a sign that you have deeper issues that need to be addressed with a health professional.

Substance misuse

Abusing illegal drugs is extremely dangerous, with an immediate risk to your mental and physical health using banned substances even just once can result in loss of life. It really isn’t worth the risk – consider why you are taking drugs and try to differentiate between having a problem and going through an experimental phase, drugs have a huge impact on your life and what was once fun to you can quickly become a crutch that takes over your life. When you get clean you will see a steady increase in quality of life – physical and mental health. Substances that release feel good chemicals can mask real issues you need to address. If you want to change your life for the better seek help, invest time and research into detox programmes and cbt (Cognitive behavioural therapy). Your route to sobriety may differ from others so find something that works for you personally.

The following information was taken from an NHS article which can be read in full here.

How CBT works

CBT is based on the concept that your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations and actions are interconnected, and that negative thoughts and feelings can trap you in a vicious cycle.

CBT aims to help you deal with overwhelming problems in a more positive way by breaking them down into smaller parts.

You’re shown how to change these negative patterns to improve the way you feel.

Unlike some other talking treatments, CBT deals with your current problems, rather than focusing on issues from your past.

It looks for practical ways to improve your state of mind on a daily basis.

Social media

Social media use has exploded over recent years and is one of the most powerful tools of the modern technology era – the problem is, with such ease of accessibility – more people can be affected. We have discussed the impact social media has on your mental health before on the official Bathmate blog and to lovers of social media we’re afraid it’s not good news. Social media has turned a generation into a like hungry society that gets their hit from online gratification. To improve your mental health start by cutting down the amount of time you spend scrolling your feed. Live in the moment – exercise is a great way to improve your overall health and entertain yourself away from the online world. People seek acceptance from strangers rather than true acceptance of themselves. Occupy your time – it will be difficult at first, over a period of time you will teach yourself to spend less time online and more off.

Toxic relationships

Toxic relationships can be difficult to navigate – they come in many forms, from intimate relationships, friendships and family ties. If you feel somebody is having a negative impact on your mental health it may be time to distance yourself, if cutting off all ties may seem too brutal. You are not obliged to maintain relationships with people who make you feel anything less than amazing, brilliant. You need to learn to value your worth and sometimes no matter how long we have known someone, it may become apparent having this person in your life stunts your growth and progression.

With a clear understanding of what is effecting our mental health we can put measures in place and learn techniques to make sure we feel the best we possibly can every day. For some people this can be a real struggle so check in on your friends and family regularly, even the ones you consider to be the strongest. If you are reading this and feel you need some help and support click here to visit the relevant NHS page for your needs.