What is Mental Health?
What actually is Mental Health? What does it mean to be Mentally Healthy? Who ever asks that question?
Sometimes, it’s asking the right questions that really matters.
How do you carry on day after day, interacting well with others while also dealing with stress, conflict, or problems of living?
Usually, when speaking of problems with mental health, we are actually referring to states of emotional distress, anguish or suffering, not mental health. Be it mental, emotional, relational, or spiritual, managing and maintaining states of wellbeing in these realms can actually quite simple, when referring to functioning and interacting in the world. We experience our lives within a continuum of health, fitness, distress and sickness.
Unfortunately, the words ‘mental health‘ are so very misused to indicate emotional distress. Headlines in news media, entertainment advertising, proclamations from government, academia and even many healthcare institutions, routinely broadcast to the general public announcements of results of scientific studies, promotions of innovative programs, and offer helpful advice, while misusing the words ‘mental health’ when naming ‘the problem.’
Reasonably, what does it mean when a person says they “have symptoms of mental health?”
If mental health is good, why is this term so often referred to in the negative?
Perhaps this is petty and unimportant, however I disagree. The way we think and perceive is often directly correlated with ways we feel, behave, relate to ourselves and to others.
Where we rest our attention, our mind will follow…
Clarity Regarding Mental Health
Clarifying ‘symptoms of mental health’ from deficiencies in mental health, and symptoms emotional distress
- Can you make and maintain relationships with your peers?
- Are you functioning well and feeling satisfied with your work or school performance?
- Can you be humorous? Or do you take some things too seriously?
- Are you able to adapt and change when necessary?
- Do you like yourself? Are you generally pleased with yourself?
- Can you identify your own strengths, and your own weaknesses?
- Can you deal with conflict? Can you be accountable to yourself and others?
- Can you accept responsibility for your actions? Or do you tend to blame others?
- Do you have a variety of coping strategies to draw on when you are stressed?
- Can you problem solve? Are you willing to learn and try something different?
- Are you able to apply reason and to think clearly? Do you rely on unrealistic expectations?
- Do you have insight into what’s happening to your environment or around you?
- Are you able to make judgements about your choices, and discern what is best for a situation?
- Have you contemplated questions about the purpose of your life?
- Do you exercise self-control over your emotions and your behaviors?
- Do you live in habits of pitying yourself and identifying as a victim?
- How have you learned to survive and handle adversity?
Understanding your Mental Health
Our abilities for effectively coping with the human condition and associated problems of living are variable, ranging from maladaptive and dysfunctional, to adaptive, healthy functioning. Generally, people cope adequately most often, and at times, life presents difficult, stressful challenges. As it is in life, any number of stressors or crises, from acute or chronic conflicts to personal, relationship, career and health concerns, our capacities for maintaining mental and physical health can change. From deep disappointment and despair, a number of serious mental and physical symptoms may develop and remain. As adults encounter different situations and stages in life, the responsibility to grow through troubled times and revise coping skills remains with each individual. Depending on our temperament, circumstances and life events, assistance may become necessary for addressing matters and complexities, and continuing challenges of life, which may or may not be within our power to control or change. In most cases, we can learn and adapt, becoming stronger and more effective in navigating through difficult times in life, and generate competence and confidence for living with contentment and fulfilment.
Grief, Bereavement and Trauma
Loss, death, trauma, and unfortunate circumstances are inevitable parts of life. From the moment we lose our first toy, or our goldfish dies, to losing a job, or the death of a loved one, we must learn to deal with these experiences, or ourselves and our lives may become consumed by them, which increases risks for developing long lasting conditions of clinical mental illness. Whether we something of material value, or a person dear to us, the a process for grieving and mourning the loss is essentially the same. Of course, one cannot compare the difficulty from one person’s experience to another, we are all unique in our suffering. Most people learn to effectively deal with the normal losses in life, until they are confronted with a major, unexpected, or catastrophic loss, and skills once relied upon may prove insufficient.
Recovery, Restoration and Post Traumatic Growth
Unresolved grief can contribute to overwhelming obsessions, severe depression, chronic anger, and an increasing inability to function in everyday life. Supportive friends and family can often help a grieving individual through the grieving process, although one may become greatly impaired with intractable limitations, and life just seems to become saturated with problems, losses and traumas. For some people, chronic suffering of persisting problems, losses or traumas become overwhelming to the point of where symptoms of post traumatic stress can manifest with thoughts, fantasies and wishes of suicide. Professional help and support can, in most cases, help people to grow through these painful seasons of life, reducing painful symptoms and finding ways for living better. We can learn to grieve, trust time as our friend and accept losses into the rich firmament and stronger fabric of our lives. In time, we become free from paralyzing fears and anxieties, and begin enjoying life.