Family- A good place to begin

 

Yesterday I was writing a piece about mental issues and I realized I was using mental and emotional issues interchangeably. I am quite sure those aren’t the same. So I tried changing it to emotional health contextually. However I was curious about the difference, if any, so I started reading and finding out more. I also spoke to specialist in the field and came to know that emotional health is a part of the overall gambit of Mental Health. However there are some basic differences. Mental health stands for psychological, emotional and social well-being, whereas emotional health refers to management of emotion that a person experiences.  Emotional health is achieved overtime through experience and learning. It is also a factor of gaining self-awareness and self-acceptance. In that context, I realized we often refer to emotional health as 'maturity’ in some cases as it is seen as the capability to respond to environment as a child grows up.

My research therefore also indicated how closely child hood experiences were related to long term mental health issues. It has been studied by Dr Martin Teicher and his team of Mc Lean Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Northeastern University that there are apparent changes in brain structure of children who went through abuse or neglect.  The noted effects ranges from developing a constant state of fear or anxiety, to social awkwardness, to aversion towards criticism, etc. In some cases child hood abuse also led to negative body image and low self-esteem resulting in obesity in future.

It is pretty much a chicken and egg situation. What comes first?  What one finds difficult to comprehend is the meaning of child abuse.  The often referred definition of child abuse and  neglect is any form of physical, psychological, sexual, emotional or mental neglect or harm which causes potential danger to child safe survival, mostly inflicted by a parent or a guardian. 

Parents need to be watchful of their actions and the overarching consequences and need to tread a very fine line on how to create balance between a disciplinarian approach and at the same time ensure emotional well-being. Children have always been vulnerable, but with additional exposure  they are now high risk as well.

However I have been a big advocate for honest and regular communication and of course cannot enforce the need for two way communications. Monologue and one sided instructions should be thrown out the window. My mother used to proudly state for our family. We are all friends first and family later. She endured to create an environment conducive enough for that to happen. I now do the same for my family. Friends first, open communication, all talk is welcome and all ideas on table.

Does that always guarantee success? I don’t know. But it is a good place to begin.

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