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� depressive illness . If you don ’ t get help for yourself , at least think about your children or grandchildren . Loss of work or study - The World Health Organization estimates that by the Year 2020 , depressive illness will be second only to heart and blood vessel disease in the illnesses that cause marked loss of productivity in human society . Depression that goes untreated can lead to a drastic decrease in one ’ s ability to work , study , or carry out their home duties . Increased chances of relapse - If untreated , prolonged and severe symptoms most certainly increase one ’ s risk of relapsing into future depressive states . Untreated depression has at least a 50 % chance of returning based on studies . Risk of other illnesses - Other illnesses such as heart disease becomes risks if depression is untreated . Research in recent years has confirmed that an episode of depression is as dangerous as smoking in causing heart disease and heart attacks . And if you have a heart attack and develop depression before or after your heart attack , your risk of dying in the next twelve months is doubled ! Brain Damage - Recent research using MRI scans of the brain has come up with disturbing findings . When people suffer depression , a part of their brain known as the hippocampus shrinks in size . When they recover , the hippocampus returns to normal size . However , if depression is left untreated , or poorly treated , for long , the brain fails to recover , and the person is at increased risk of permanent illness , or frequent attacks of depression .
The before mentioned risks are the problems that come from one mental illness . What about mental illnesses such as anxiety , Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD ), Bi-Polar Disorder , Cannabis ( Marijuana ) Use Disorder , Alcohol Use Disorder , just to name a few of the many disorders / mental illnesses that you can be diagnosed with ? Just like depression these mental illnesses have huge impacts on the mind and body if they go untreated . I often use physical illnesses as examples to prove a point . For instance , if you have diabetes or hypertension , whether you are aware of it or not , what happens to you if they go untreated or you don ’ t have regular checkups to determine what types of treatment you may need to ensure that these illnesses / disorders don ’ t have deadly effects on your body ? You can die from untreated physical illnesses / disorders if untreated . Physical illnesses / disorders must be treated for you to have a chance . Let ’ s flip that … what about mental illnesses / disorders ? The same thing applies … if they go untreated the result can be costly to not only you but the people in your lives . Not treating mental illnesses / disorders can be deadly too !
Now , going back to the title of this article …” Mind ” your business . Are you in fact “ minding ” your business ? Are you taking care of your mind men ? I can ’ t stress enough on how important it is for us , as men , to pay more attention to the things that affect us mentally because when your mind is not healthy so many aspects of your life can be negatively impacted as well … such as your physical and emotional health , relationships , and your overall approach to life . Men , take a look around you , look at the news , and listen to conversations of people in your life . You have to