Understanding Mental Health
Bear with us as we get jargony for a moment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is identified as a state of well-being enabling individuals to realize their abilities, sustain fulfilling relationships with others, work productively and fruitfully, cope with the normal stresses of life, and contribute to their communities.” Okay—now that you know the long explanation, let’s break it down a bit. Mental, physical, and social health are essential for all individuals, and as our understanding of this triangular relationship grows, it becomes ever more apparent that they are interwoven strands of life.
Take a moment to think about physical health, what comes to mind? Do you think about things like a stubbed toe, the flu, or arthritis? When we have the flu not only do we feel physically unwell, but it also impacts our mental health increasing fatigue, decreased mood, and avoidance of things that we enjoy. For better and worse it also has an effect on our social health, resulting decrease in social activities and even isolation. These three facets—mental, physical, and social health are all naturally related.
Unfortunately, health is not like an on/off switch; there are various degrees of health. Health is best understood as a fluid continuum sliding from excellent or good health to average health to poor health to illness or disability. For instance, one can have good overall health, walking every day and have manageable arthritis in their knees. Our level of health and wellness fluctuates every day. One person could have a severe health problem that last for a long time, while another’s resolves very quickly. The average person falls somewhere in the middle— generally in good health, though the occasional problem may come up. Mental health is the same way.
Similar to how someone who feels unwell may not have a severe illness, a person can have poor mental health without having a mental illness. Everyone has days where they feel a bit down, stressed, or overwhelmed by thing happening in their lives. However, an essential aspect of good mental health is the ability to look at problems, stress, and concerns realistically. If you learn anything, remember this — Good mental health isn’t about feeling happy and confident 100% of the time and ignoring any issues. It’s about coping and living well despite problems.
No one group is immune to mental disorders—it can happen to anyone. It’s possible to have poor mental health without a mental illness and it’s entirely possible to have good mental health even with a diagnosis of mental illness. Mental illnesses—like physical illness—are frequently episodic, meaning there are periods of ill health, and times of good health. With the appropriate supports and tools, anyone can live well making it easier to find meaning and purpose in their work, contributing to their communities, and working towards their goals.
References
https://www.who.int/mental_health/media/investing_mnh.pdf
Investing in MENTAL HEALTH