Understanding Mental Health and Treatment for Illnesses
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Having trouble understanding mental health? You might be wondering, “What is mental health?” “What is behavioral health?” Mental health is something we all have. It includes how we feel, our thoughts and our wellbeing. The state of our mental health defines how we make decisions, handle stress and interact with other people. Building a foundation of good mental health is important during the childhood years and even into adulthood.
Behavioral health includes both mental and emotional wellbeing as they are often connected. For example, a person experiencing toxic stress such as…. might have a higher risk of heart disease or stroke. Behavioral health can include stress levels, daily habits like eating, drinking and exercising, and even mental illness.
There is no one cause that leads to mental health problems. A person’s mental health can be formed by their genetics, family history of mental illness, biological makeup and life experiences. Individuals with good mental health have the ability to manage stress, identify and manage their emotions, develop coping skills and create positive interactions with others. Having good mental health allows individuals to build meaningful relationships with others, make positive contributions in the community, cope with stress and live a full life.
When people don’t develop these social and personal skills, health problems can occur. Mood swings, the inability to manage emotions, feelings of loneliness or depression and other warning signs may appear. Left untreated, mental health problems can hinder brain development and lead to serious health issues.
Understanding Mental Health Treatments
Treatments for behavioral health issues include developing skills to manage behaviors, identifying emotions and learning how to best manage them. At Niles, we utilize emotion regulation tools to help youth build a foundation to manage emotions. Watch this video to learn more about emotion regulation.
Niles provides a day treatment program. This is a day school designed for children and adolescents who have difficulties functioning in a mainstream classroom due to educational, psychological or behavioral concerns. Throughout the school day, certified teachers provide students with the care needed and additional therapy to help the child succeed.
Niles also provides residential treatment options for youth in an intensive clinical environment. Throughout their care at Niles, youth receive treatments through educational programs like music therapy, recreation therapy and others that best engage their learning.
If you know a child or teen that is struggling with a mental or behavioral health challenge, contact us at (816) 241-3448.
Related articles:
- Niles’ residential treatment for youth
- KVC Health Systems Launches Campaign on Brian Development, Toxic Stress & Resilience
- Protecting and Transforming Childhood
- The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study
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