Writers and perhaps most people who deal with creative content production are among the people whose mental health is at great risk. You do know the meaning of the words 'mental health,' don’t you? It’s okay if you don’t. Mental health refers to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being. Other people may say mental health refers to the absence of a mental disorder. Whichever you choose, they are all valid definitions.

How a writer’s mental health is affected

Authors, poets, scriptwriters, and any other content producer are subject to public opinion, especially because the public (which lives in a “free” world, free to speak their mind) is the main recipient of their work. Writers cannot dictate or control what their audience says and therefore, while some writers may boast about the love and support they receive from their audience, it’s true that some cannot do or say the same about their audience. The audience’s reaction is usually supposed to be wholly based on the writer’s work, but apparently, there’s more to it than that. The audience may unbelievably decide to appreciate or not to appreciate a writer based on factors such as the writer’s personal history, sexual orientation, educational background, religion, and much more. We all know that greatness is not determined by any of these factors, but instead by the abilities and uniqueness bestowed on one. Some may find the negative energy and hate from their audience devastating and frustrating. Some people may say such people are weak, but in my opinion, that’s wrong. In fact, they are very normal; I mean, it’s only human to feel emotions. The problem is some writers may dwell on the negative energy from their audience to the point that it affects their self-esteem, confidence, morale, their general life, and this consequently affects their mental health.

Another factor that affects the mental health of a writer is overworking. As much as you may be stretching yourself to the maximum limit to make ends meet, you may be putting your mental health at risk. You may be stretching yourself by having an over-ambitious target for your daily schedule or weekly goal. Failure to achieve your targets may lead to stress and frustration and therefore compromise your mental health.

How to tell your mental health is at risk

The common types of mental disorders include anxiety disorders (the most common being generalized anxiety disorder), mood disorders (the most common being depression and bipolar disorder), and schizophrenia disorders. Signs that you need to look out for as alerts that your mental health may be compromised are :

withdrawal

a change in your sleeping and eating habits where you have too much or too little of both of them

being confused

having low energy

using mood-altering substances (drugs)

feeling hopeless and more signs

How to take care of your mental health

Go for psychotherapy

Attending psychotherapy sessions may help a great deal with improving your mental health. This is especially advisable for writers who are dealing with hate and negative energy.

Seek medical attention

Seeking medical attention can help a writer cope with mental health conditions and gradually improve their mental health. Psychotherapists and physicians may prescribe drugs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anxiolytic drugs which help a lot with improving one’s mental health.

Do exercise

If you have not been doing exercises, it’s high time you started. Jogging, running, going to the gym, and any kind of exercise you can think of doing will help improve your mental health.

Eat a balanced diet

Ensure you take a balanced diet, and while this is good for your general health, it also improves your mental health. The healthier you are as a writer, the more creative and productive you become.

Avoid drug and substance abuse

Reduce or avoid the intake of alcohol, avoid any kind of drug abuse. Drug abuse is not the best way to deal with stress or depression; it only makes you worse. Avoiding any substance abuse will give you a clear mind and slowly improve your mental health.

As a writer, your mental health should be your priority.

Sources

https://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health
https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn