Common Mental Health Conditions | Mental Health & Sexual Health |
Tips for Mental Well-Being | Help & Support
Everyone has mental health, just as everyone has physical health. Mental health is about how we think, feel, behave, and manage our emotions, relationships, and daily life. You should think of mental health as mental well-being and not just mental illness. And, like most people, you probably experience a range of emotions and might ask yourself questions like:
Many factors affect your mental well-being and are very individual to you. Your genetics, the environment where you live, your experiences, your social connections, and your unique personal challenges can all contribute to your overall mental health.
Everyone’s mental health is fluid and ever-changing, depending on your brain chemistry and what’s going on in your life. You can feel like you’re THRIVING, then STRUGGLING, then in CRISIS, then THRIVING again. It’s totally normal to move up and down the mental health spectrum throughout your life.
These mental health conditions are among the most common for young people:
Anxiety
Depression
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Eating disorders
But there are many more (read about them here), which can be occasional or can last a lifetime. The good news is that if you’re living with a mental health condition, it’s treatable – you can get better and thrive. Help and support are available.
Many people do not immediately link mental health and sexual health, but the two are deeply interconnected, particularly for teens and young adults.
Young people have a lot to navigate. Adolescence and young adulthood are periods marked by significant development, including the exploration of sexual identity, gender identity and sexual feelings, along with possible pressures from school, families, peers, and any romantic attractions or intimate relationships.
The state of your sexual health can affect your mental health, and the state of your mental health can affect your sexual health. How?
Increased risk behaviors:
People with mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, may be more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors, including unprotected sex, early sexual initiation, and having multiple partners.
Impact on relationships:
Mental health challenges can affect the ability to form healthy relationships, which can influence sexual experiences and choices.
Substance use:
Mental health issues can sometimes be linked to substance use and abuse, which can also increase risky sexual behaviors and create unsafe sexual environments.
Medication side effects:
Certain medications prescribed for depression or anxiety can have a negative impact on sexual functioning or desires.
Negative experiences:
Unwanted sexual experiences, sexual trauma, STIs, and unintended pregnancies can negatively impact mental health, leading to depression, anxiety, and other issues.
Positive experiences:
On the other hand, healthy relationships that include great communication can contribute to improved self-esteem, reduced anxiety, and overall mental well-being.
Social stigma:
Dealing with issues like STIs or sexual orientation stigma can also negatively affect mental health.
Peer Pressure:
Sexual behavior can be influenced by peer pressure – what you think others are doing or not doing sexually, and comparing yourself to that, which can impact decision-making and affect mental health.
Open and honest communication is important in any relationship, especially those that are romantic or have any intimate connection. Why? Because it’s healthy to discuss things like boundaries, desires, safety, and expectations.
You’ll avoid miscommunication and misunderstandings. You’ll feel safer and more secure if you talk about any mental health condition and its possible effects on sexual relations. And, remember, it’s an ongoing conversation.
Find tips, advice, and even games to help you have honest conversations (about possibly awkward topics) at Own the Awk.
It’s good practice to pay attention to your mental health and maintain lifestyle habits to support it.
It’s not always easy to set time aside with everything going on in life, but learning to include time for your self-care in your schedule is necessary. Start now and it will become a habit.
Many of the activities below don’t require a lot of time – some only take up 15-20 minutes in your day. It’s the regularity that counts.
Everyone has ups and downs in their mental health – good days, not so good days, and straight-up bad days. Totally normal. What’s not normal is feeling sad, depressed or hopeless every day for weeks at a time, ANY thoughts of suicide, not eating or vomiting after eating, or inflicting harm on yourself or others.
When you’re struggling or not feeling yourself, talking to someone you trust, like a friend, parent, teacher, or counselor, can help. Remember, seeking help or being diagnosed with a mental health condition doesn’t mean that you’re broken or that you did something “wrong”. A mental health condition is not a choice and is no one’s fault.
My Life is Worth Living™ is an animated series about youth mental health. It tells stories of characters who face some of the most difficult issues that young people deal with ...
Read More
Research has found that pretty much everyone experiences depression at some point during their life. The technical definition of depression is that it involves feelings of sadness that do not always have a reasonable cause...
Read More
VIDEO (4.5 minutes)
Read More
