Your mental and emotional health has been and will continue to be shaped by your
experiences. Early childhood experiences are especially significant. Genetic and biological
factors can also play a role, but these too can be changed by experience.
Risk factors that can compromise mental and emotional health:
- Poor connection or attachment to your primary caretaker early in life. Feeling
lonely, isolated, unsafe, confused, or abused as an infant or young child.
- Traumas or serious losses, especially early in life. Death
of a parent or other traumatic experiences such as war or hospitalization.
- Learned helplessness. Negative experiences that lead to a belief
that you’re helpless and that you have little control over the situations in
your life.
- Illness, especially when it’s chronic, disabling, or isolates
you from others.
- Side effects of medications, especially in older people who may
be taking a variety of medications.
- Substance abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse can both cause mental
health problems and make preexisting mental or emotional problems worse.
Whatever internal or external factors have shaped your mental and emotional health,
it’s never too late to make changes that will improve your psychological well-being.
Risk factors can be counteracted with protective factors, like strong relationships,
a healthy lifestyle, and coping strategies for managing stress and negative emotions.
No comments:
Post a Comment