Fit for Practice – Mental Health

Fit-For-Practice – Mental Health

Mental health is just as important as physical health and they are very much interconnected. Unfortunately, there has been a stigma associated with mental health disorders for decades and many people are unfamiliar with the signs and symptoms of mental health issues.

When one of our associates is suffering, their illness has the potential to affect their body, their work productivity, and the well-being of their community. Many additional health risks have been associated with mental illness. For example, people with depression are at 40% higher risk than the general population to develop metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

Upstream recognizes that openly discussing mental health can act as a preventative measure. Having good mental health can help you cope with the stresses of the workplace and daily life, and help to generally improve quality of life.

Good mental health can often be achieved with self-care activities such as exercising, eating right, talking with friends regularly, or getting outside for a few minutes every day. Sometimes we might need a little more than self-care and professional help may be necessary to improve our mental health.

But how do you know if you have a mental health issue that needs addressing? The National Institute of Mental Health suggests that you first determine how much your symptoms interfere with your daily life and routine.

If your symptoms are mild, such as feeling a little down or having mild difficulty sleeping, perhaps some self-care activity might be all you need to boost your mental health.

However, if your symptoms are more severe and you are having difficulty concentrating, unable to perform your usual daily functions, struggling to get out of bed in the mornings, or having thoughts of self-harm professional help is likely needed.

All Upstream associates have access to an Associate Assistance Program (AAP) at no cost to seek professional help when feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious. An AAP is a professional service providing assessment, short-term counseling and referral to appropriate treatment providers or programs when needed.

For more information on opportunities with Upstream Rehabilitation, click here.

References
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/get-involved/education-awareness/shareable-resources-on-coping-with-covid-19