Growing up, the one statement probably most of us have heard quite often is to get plenty of exercise, eat healthily, and avoid junk food. While doing all those things is necessary, the only thing it does is help keep our physical bodies in shape. However, most people don’t realize that your brain needs to be healthy for you to be completely healthy.
This is where brain health becomes important. Your brain is arguably the single most valuable organ in your body, as it plays a crucial role in your overall well-being and daily life. It is responsible for controlling your emotions and your thoughts, senses, and movements.
These are some of the reasons why brain health is important. According to the World Health Organization, good brain health is where every individual optimizes their emotional, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral functioning. It should also help you realize your own abilities. Thanks to Mental Health Assessments Calgary, you can certainly accomplish that.
Is there a Connection Between Mental Health and Brain Health?
Yes, there is a connection between mental health and brain health. Our emotions are part of who we are as human beings, which is why we can all be blue and sad at some point in our lives. But mental illness goes beyond simply being sad or blue. Any mental illness alters how a person thinks, behaves, or feels. It also causes individual distress and makes it difficult to function.
Some diseases categorized as mental illnesses include schizophrenia, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, among others. These illnesses alter your feelings, thoughts, and behavior in distinct ways.
Now, how do these mental illnesses affect your brain health? Your brain is the primary control and decision-making organ in your body. It is in charge of how you react to things, your actions, memories, and your senses. It is also the center of your human emotions.
However, to fulfill all these objectives, your brain sends electrical signals to your nerves. This, in turn, allows the nervous system to communicate with each other to perform its specific functions. When an individual has a mental illness, the brain’s function and chemistry are affected.
This chemistry and brain function change ends up disrupting the communication between neurons. These changes then affect the neurotransmission flow. Research studies have also proved a direct link between changes in the brain’s chemical level and mental disorders. Mental stress causes the adrenal glands to produce cortisol in excessive amounts.
Cortisol is our body’s main hormonal stress response. This hormone helps our brain control our emotions and mood. But too much of it ultimately changes your brain’s chemistry, eventually triggering depressive symptoms.
How Does Brain Health Affect Mental Health?
In the same way, your mental health affects your brain health, and vice versa happens. Excitement, happiness, fear, euphoria, and even sadness are emotions maintained and triggered by the chemicals in your brain known as neurotransmitters. These chemicals communicate with your body’s nerve cells. When your brain emits too much or too little of one type of neurotransmitter, the result is bad nerves.
Bad nerves eventually affect your mental health because of the chemical imbalances you experience. Sometimes, the only way to balance out these chemicals is by taking an antidepressant. Other than medication, how do you try to create a balance between your mental and brain health? The solution is mental health assessment.
How Can You Leverage Mental Health Assessment to Improve Your Mental Health?
A mental health assessment is an essential diagnostic tool that can help you get the treatment you require. A mental health assessment can also:
- Rule out or diagnose a suspected mental health disorder
- Help your doctor distinguish between mental and physical health issues that can cause similar symptoms
- Identify an intellectual or learning disability
- Evaluate the mental health of an individual who has been referred for their relationships, problems at school, work, or their personal life
Depending on your specific case, your doctor can use your mental health assessment results to determine your treatment course. However, it’s important to note that your treatment plan will depend on your circumstances and specific diagnosis. A good read of the best mental health books might also help get rid of the unhelpful feelings and get that mental health support and encouragement you need.
You no longer have to struggle with mental illness symptoms. A mental health assessment gives your doctor an accurate picture of your psychological and emotional state. This, in turn, allows your doctor to select the appropriate treatment for you.
You can start getting better with proper diagnosis and treatment and learn to manage your mental health. And with better mental health, your brain health improves and vice versa.
