Does the gender of the person have any connection with mental health issues? This question can baffle many people. However, the fact is that women, more than men, tend to have mental health issues. Recent studies have shown that more than 30% of women experience some kind of mental health issues. We shall look at some of them in brief.
Before going into the actual mental problems faced by women, we would like to set the record straight. You should note the following points.
- There is a very thin dividing line between normal responses and mental health issues.
- Every woman might have encountered either one or more of the mental health issues described in this article.
- The signs and severity of the health issues can vary from person to person and from community to community.
Anxiety:
It is very natural for a woman to feel anxious. After all, she is definitely more emotional than the male of the species. These feelings can be situational. It should subside with time. However, if the anxiety feelings persist for a longer period, it can be a cause of worry. She can experience the following symptoms.
- The tension becomes palpable
- Her hands can start trembling
- She can sweat profusely
- Feel the heart pounding
- Finding it difficult to think clearly
These are panic attacks. Usually, a woman feels that she might lose her consciousness and even die. These symptoms can last from a few minutes to even several hours as well.
Depression:
Compared to the male species, the woman can feel depression more. This is especially in case of a death in the family. Some women do not have the capability to bear any loss. Under such circumstances, she can display the following symptoms.
- She keeps aloof from the other family members
- Display symptoms of insomnia
- Lose the ability to think clearly
- She can show disinterest in normal activities like eating, sleeping, or having sexual relationships
- Experiencing headaches frequently
- Feel drained off
- Contemplate suicide
Suicidal thoughts are more prevalent in women as compared to men. However, records show that more men have committed suicide than women.
Response to traumatic experiences
Traumatic events can affect both men and women. It could be a mugging or a sexual assault. It can be an accident or even a loss of a job. Men are mentally stronger to get over the traumatic event as compared to women. Women exhibit certain common traits as described below.
- Women tend to relive the trauma repeatedly in their minds. She might think about the same incident and display all the symptoms of anxiety or depression listed above.
- She might experience a drop in her emotional strength. This can make her avoid meeting the people associated with the trauma. Visiting the same place is literally out of question.
- She can become more alert than usual and overreact to normal situations.
- Displaying a feeling of guilt or feeling angry about the same are very common traits in her. This is predominant in case someone close to her has suffered more than she has done.
- She can display a sense of confusion and behave hysterically at times.
Time is certainly a great healer. However, her genetic disposition is such that she is more prone to display the symptoms listed above whenever she experiences stress. These are some of the common mental health issues one can notice in women.
How diet impact your mental health
Mental health issues can be detrimental for you and your loved ones, so it is important to look into things that can be causing these issues. When managing mental health issues, it is important to have a good diet plan. Some of the ways food can affect your mental health are mentioned below.
Free radicals
These are substances that are the byproducts of many chemicals reactions that happen in the body. They can be very bad for your health, and can cause many diseases including depression and mood disorders. Free radicals will damage the body at the cellular level. Sugary foods for example, will damage the body by increasing the free radical content in the body. This is why it is important to keep the amount of sugary foods in your diet under control.
Serotonin
Serotonin is a hormone produced in the intestines. This hormone plays a critical role in helping people maintain mood. It also helps control pain and maintain the sleep and hunger patterns of the body. If you want to maintain the right amount of serotonin in the body, you would need to ensure that your intestines are healthy. One of the most important functions in serotonin production is performed by the bacteria living in the intestines. Unlike bacteria that cause disease, these bacteria are very important for maintaining a healthy digestive system and for the absorption of nutrients in the body. Foods rich in probiotic components, which can promote these helpful bacteria, can lead to reduced levels of anxiety. in addition to probiotic foods which help in better serotonin functioning, other foods such as fish, beans, eggs, lentils can also help improve the production of serotonin.
Processed versus natural foods
Natural foods and traditional diets can be beneficial in maintaining healthy bacterial count in the intestines. These diets contain probiotic substances and promote good bacteria in the body. Also, natural foods are less likely to excess sugar. This is the reason people who shun fast food or processed food in favor of natural foods or traditional meals are less likely to suffer from mental health issues.
Fermented foods
Fermented foods are essential part of probiotics, so if you eat yogurt, kimchi, pickles and other types of fermented foods, you can help activate healthy gut bacteria. Some types of traditional alcoholic beverages in moderate amounts can also help achieve this benefit.
Omega 3 fatty acids
These are the healthy fats that are essential for the right functioning of the body’s chemical processes. Omega 3 fatty acids are also essential for brain functioning. To boost this fat in the body, you need to eat a diet rich in salmon and mackerels or plant foods such as flex seeds and nuts. These foods can help reduce mental disorders such as depression and schizophrenia.
Leafy green vegetables
Spinach and similar vegetables offer high amounts of vitamins. These vitamins are needed for healthy functioning of the body. In addition to spinach, sprouts, beans, and turnip are also good sources of vitamins. Vitamins such as folic acid and Vitamin B help prevent depression and lack of sleep.
The connection between diet and mind are only now being established through scientific studies. It is important to have a diet rich in the right types of foods, to maintain optimal mental health and prevent diseases of many types