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The emotional signs of anxiety — nervousness, restlessness, distraction, a clenched jaw — almost always occur in tandem with physical symptoms such as dry mouth, nausea, or sweaty hands, which can then magnify our anxious feelings. When anxiety crosses a line, however — unique to each individual — everyday stressors can translate into disruptive physical symptoms that make it difficult to live normally.

Social connectedness influences our minds, bodies, and behaviors—all of which influence our health and life expectancy. Research shows that social connectedness can lead to longer life, better health, and improved well-being. People are by nature social creatures. Social connections are important for our survival.7 Our relationships with family, friends, coworkers, and community members can have a major impact on our health and well-being.

Everyone has moments when their brain suddenly goes haywire. They repeatedly fixate on the same thought, like being stuck on a hamster wheel. Or their thoughts aimlessly bounce from one random topic to the next like a pinball. People often refer to these thought patterns as racing thoughts, and the most common cause is anxiety, says Fairlee Fabrett, PhD, a psychologist at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital. “People who struggle with racing thoughts are constantly worried about what needs to be done, what hasn’t been done, and what is next,” says Fabrett. “Or they obsess about past, present, or future situations.” For example, you replay a conversation with different versions of dialogue, ruminate about an upcoming meeting with your boss or medical appointment, or worry about an unlikely doomsday scenario.

Co-dependency is a learned behavior that can be passed down from one generation to another. It is an emotional and behavioral condition that affects an individual’s ability to have a healthy, mutually satisfying relationship. It is also known as “relationship addiction” because people with codependency often form or maintain relationships that are one-sided, emotionally destructive and/or abusive. The disorder was first identified about ten years ago as the result of years of studying interpersonal relationships in families of alcoholics. Co-dependent behavior is learned by watching and imitating other family members who display this type of behavior. Co-dependency often affects a spouse, a parent, sibling, friend, or co-worker of a person afflicted with alcohol or drug dependence. Originally, co-dependent was a term used to describe partners in chemical dependency, persons living with, or in a relationship with an addicted person. Similar patterns have been seen in people in relationships with chronically or mentally ill individuals. Today, however, the term has broadened to describe any co-dependent person from any dysfunctional family.

Like in any other case, prevention is better than cure even when it comes to sound mental health. If an individual can regularly better their mental health, they will not reach a point where they struggle with their emotions or have suicidal thoughts. One of the few early things you can do towards suicide prevention is to be aware of possible mental health problems. And knowing the problems, you take better steps to manage them. Only if you are of sound health can you help others. The information helps you identify your own issues and those of others too on time. So, know about the different mental health issues.

Those who struggle with a personality disorder have great difficulty dealing with other people. They tend to be inflexible, rigid, and unable to respond to the changes and demands of life. People with personality disorders tend to have a narrow view of the world and find it difficult to participate in social activities. Personality refers to a distinctive set of traits, behavior styles, and patterns that make up our character or individuality. How we perceive the world, our attitudes, thoughts, and feelings are all part of our personality. People with healthy personalities are able to cope with normal stresses and have no trouble forming relationships with family, friends, and co-workers.

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health disorder that affects people of all ages [1] and walks of life, and occurs when a person gets caught in a cycle of obsessions and compulsions [2]. Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease distress. Most people have obsessive thoughts and/or compulsive behaviors at some point in their lives, but that does not mean that we all have “some OCD.” In order for a diagnosis of OCD to be made, this cycle of obsessions and compulsions must be so extreme that it consumes a lot of time (more than an hour every day), causes intense distress, or gets in the way of important activities that the person values[1].

High-quality social connections are essential to our mental and physical health and our well-being. Social isolation and loneliness are important, yet neglected, social determinants of the health of older people. Social isolation and loneliness are widespread, with some countries reporting that up to one in three older people feel lonely. A large body of research shows that social isolation and loneliness have a serious impact on older people’s physical and mental health, quality of life, and their longevity. The effect of social isolation and loneliness on mortality is comparable to that of other well-established risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy that teaches people to become their own therapists. CBT is based on Dr. Aaron T. Beck’s Cognitive Model, which is the theory that the way individuals perceive a situation is more closely connected to their reaction than the situation itself. CBT is an evidence-based practice, which means that it has been scientifically tested. In fact, more than 2,000 studies have demonstrated that CBT is an effective treatment for many different health and mental health conditions. In CBT treatment, trained therapists help clients identify distressing thoughts and evaluate how realistic these thoughts are. As clients become aware of their thoughts and are able to evaluate them, they feel better. CBT therapists also work with clients on solving problems, learning new skills, and setting and achieving meaningful goals. Although initially therapists and clients work together in session, therapists also empower clients by teaching them to evaluate their thoughts and practice their new skills on their own, outside of therapy.

Do you care about your mental health as well as your physical health? If not, why do you ignore your mental health? Do people stigmatise mental health in our society? If yes, why are mental health issues still stigmatised? Mental health stigma refers to the negative attitudes, beliefs and stereotypes that people hold about mental illness and those who experience mental health problems. Nepal, like many countries around the world, is experiencing a growing mental health crisis. The societal changes, technological advancements, ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, economic challenges and other stressors have contributed to the increase in the rate of anxiety, depression, suicide, substance abuse disorders and other mental health issues.

Most entrepreneurs in Nepal struggle to survive. Scaling up and building a world-class business is a far cry for many of them.

Mental health challenges are prevalent in Nepal. Statistical data from the National Mental Health Survey 2020.