In light of the social and psychological pressures that we are witnessing these days, in addition to the recent changes and developments, the need for a psychiatrist increases greatly, as a solution to the crises resulting from these pressures, in addition to its great importance as one of the important weapons in combating many negative behaviors. Such as bullying, harassment, and others.
Psychotherapy has become one of the important things that individuals need in all sectors and fields of society, in order to treat some psychological problems, and improve mental health levels to the best, which works to enhance societies in dealing with problems, in order to achieve the required success in various fields. Dr. Mona Reda, a consultant psychiatrist, answers the most common questions about mental illness and mental disorders, and how can we protect ourselves from infection?

When does a person go to a psychiatrist?
When he finds himself unable to do the simplest daily tasks, and feeling the enjoyment he used to, or if he shows unusual behavioral disturbances for a long time, or a disturbance in his mood such as anxiety or stress, or when he started thinking about some suicidal methods.

Can I go to a life coach instead of a psychiatrist?
A life coach is not a substitute for a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist is the doctor who studied in the medical college everything related to psychiatry and medication. The psychiatrist focuses on the past and on the patient’s mental, psychological, behavioral or other problems, then he diagnoses and provides medical treatment if necessary, while the coach focuses on what is related to the present and its growth, not about the past and its problems. The coach does not deal with psychological, mental or behavioral problems of all kinds, but rather deals with a person who faces a set of challenges in life and wants to manage them in a more effective way, or a person who wants to decide or choose something in his life and needs help.

Is there a difference between mental disorders and mental illness?
Mental illness is a set of symptoms that appear on the patient after a specific period of time and the presence of persistent symptoms that lead to loss and dysfunction of the person, like a student or a caring mother or an employee and may lead to the emergence of a number of obvious changes in his life path and pattern of interaction with people, causing the inability to adapt to the atmosphere.  As for the psychological disorder, it is a set of fixed characteristics that appear on the individual since his childhood due to the environmental conditions in which he grew up until the stages of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood and become an integral part of the convictions of the individual and it is usually difficult to change these characteristics no matter how hard he faces, and the person with a mental disorder does not see any problem in his life.

Is there a relationship between physical diseases and mental illness?
There is a close relationship between mental illnesses and physical diseases, as the body and spirit form an integrated unit within the human body, and each affects the other, as many physical changes and symptoms can appear as a result of exposure to a mental illness. Likewise, physical diseases may increase with the increase in mental illness. Many of psychosomatic illnesses arise from mental illness, causing physical symptoms to appear as if they were an illness, when in reality they are not. Such as irritable bowel syndrome, back and neck pain, a person may turn to a doctor for examinations and analyzes, and in the end discover that it is a mental illness.

What is the difference between depression as a mental illness and sadness as a feeling?
Sadness is a short-term and temporary feeling that may affect a person from time to time, and it fades after a short period of time has passed. Sadness can also include moments of joy and laughter, unlike depression. A normal and healthy reaction for a person, and this does not affect his life, but rather he moves forward with his life and performs his daily activities normally, even when he feels very sad. As for depression, it is a mental illness whose symptoms are stable and do not change, but sometimes get worse, and no symptoms appear. A clear cause, and the person cannot relate the feeling to a specific situation or incident. A person with depression finds it very difficult to go to work or perform any daily activities, as if life suddenly stops.

What are the tips that can be followed to be less likely to develop mental illness?
Treat yourself with kindness and respect, avoid self-criticism, spend enough time with supportive family members and positive friends, and stay away from negative people. In order to protect yourself from mental illness and negative emotions. Most important thing is to seek psychological help from specialists when you feel unable to cope with things healthy.

You can contact Dr. Mona Reda for psychological consultation to enjoy a quiet and happy life.