What is mental health?

In its simplest terms, mental health refers to the condition of one’s mind, or the absence or presence of mental illness, just as physical health refers to the condition of the body and the absence or presence of disease.

The body/mind connection

Mental health was once considered separate and distinct from physical health. However, recently experts are seeing how intricately the body and mind are connected.

For example, depression is now being identified as a heart attack risk factor. Moreover, depression can make a person more likely to get sick.

Furthermore, many mental illnesses are known to have a contributing cause in biological or chemical dysfunction. Mental illness can affect feelings, thoughts and behaviour in addition to health.

Staying mentally healthy

Feelings give us a clue to our emotional health first. The purpose of feelings is to help us make good decisions. The problem is that feelings are not always easy to interpret, and sometimes people act on them in unhealthy ways.

Maintaining mental well-being involves identifying the feelings that you have and understanding why you have them. It involves communicating about them and making healthy decisions which are informed by them.

What is a mentally healthy person?

The mentally healthy individual is able to feel and express all of the human emotions. They are flexible in their responses to life situations. They have a wide range of healthy relationships, and are not usually swamped by emotions. They live a balanced life which integrates opposites. For example work and fun, social support and alone time, rest and productivity, feeling and thinking.

A mentally healthy person understands reality versus fantasy. They develop healthy relationship patterns, grow and utilise their talents, live a fairly well-rounded life, and experience joy.

What is mental illness?

Mental illnesses can be experienced when there is too much instability in a person’s mood or anxiety level. Problems with thinking and reality testing can indicate what are known as thought disorders. There are mental health issues related to eating (anorexia) and to being sick (hypochondria.)

People might experience issues with identity, (dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder) sexuality (pedophilia) and gender identity. Personality disorders occur when there are rigid, destructive patterns of behaviour.

Some people experience problems with impulse control (pyromania), sleeping (night terrors) or substance abuse. There are numerous mental disorders often diagnosed in childhood, like attention deficit disorder or mental retardation.

It is critical to take care of the body, through nutrition and exercise and appropriate medical care. It is equally important to care for one’s mental state and seek professional help when needed.

Note:

This article is for information purposes only and is not a substitute for personal medical or psychological care.