Birthday greetings to Bishop Pat BuzonIt’s still Women’s Month.
Some guys are wondering, when is the men’s month? I checked online and found that June is Men’s Health Month. There are no favorites. Will dwell on the men’s health in June.
Others are also commenting, isn’t it “women’s day” every day? Truth is we can celebrate whenever we want to uplift another person or group of people.
I am happy to see that many are honoring women. I have seen activities in the news and posted in social media sites.
Health is defined by the World Health Organization, is a complete state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is wealth and there is no health without mental health.
Mental health is about our well-being: how we see ourselves, how we relate with other people and how we handle problems that come our way.
Mental disorder on the hand is a medical condition that affects our thought processes, perception of reality, and have disturbed behavior or is suffering or in distress and other symptoms.
These are the common mental issues for women.
Depression – having feelings of sadness, helplessness, unworthiness and hopelessness. Here are some examples of someone who might loss energy, or lack of motivation, or seeing the negative often. Some may experience sleep difficulties or loss of appetite.
Related to depression for women is the postpartum depression where a new mother may feel sad and abandoned. She may feel alone.
Anxiety is the body’s natural response to danger, an automatic alarm that goes off when one feels threatened , under pressure or when facing a stressful situation. Common anxiety disorders are panic disorder (sometimes having a panic attack), phobias and post traumatic stress disorders.
Sometimes we develop that we do not even know what we are afraid of.
Another common disorder for women is eating disorders:
Anorexia nervosa – restricts food intake; exercises excessively due to distorted body image
Bulimia nervosa – binges and then uses self-induced vomiting – also unhappy with weight
Binge-eating – recurring episodes of binge eating without purging. Feels guilty which could lead to more binge eating.
To summarize, common mental disorders for women are: depression, anxiety and eating disorders. There are many more mental concerns that ladies can also experience.
We are reminded that only a mental health professional – a psychiatrist can only diagnose a disorder.
For physical health, common women’s health issues are: heart disease, breast cancer, diabetes, hypertension and others.
It is important for us women to take good care of ourselves. Self-care is a must. It is not being selfish. Here are some tips to prevent health concerns:
W – write your thoughts and feelings
O – offer a prayer
M – make time for loved ones
A – accept things you cannot change
N – nurture yourself too (manicures, extra sleep, gardening)
When things do not work out right, or if more stress comes, please do not hesitate to contact a medical professional. It is okay to be not okay. It is okay to ask for help.
Continue to wear purple on Friday to support women’s empowerment.
Purple is also the color for this Lenten Season. We are encouraged to pray more, to participate in the Eucharistic Celebration, go to confession, help others, and listen to the word of God. Also join a retreat.
Padayon!
P.S.
Birthday greetings (March 14) to Most Rev. Patricio A. Buzon, SDB, D.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Bacolod.*