What is Mental Health?

What is Mental Health?

Health is not only the absence of disease, but also a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being (well-being). So there is no health without mental health.

Mental fitness depends on many factors, as it is influenced by genetic factors, the environment and the individual himself.

Mental health encompasses the intertwining of our thoughts, emotions and experiences. It is manifested through a positive attitude towards oneself, others and the world, as well as successfully facing the challenges of everyday life. But when a person has a hard time facing problems, he has problems with self-image, sleeping, etc. but we are talking about mental health problems.

What is a mental illness/disorder?

A mental disorder is a label for a wide range of problems with different symptoms. Usually, mental disorders are defined by an uncharacteristic combination of thoughts, feelings, behavior, relationships with others, and difficulties in performing everyday duties that significantly hinder the individual’s functioning in everyday life.

Mental health problems/mental illness can happen to anyone as we all face severe stressful situations and life crises. How an individual reacts to a crisis depends on various factors. We can react to problems with anger, sadness, some withdraw into themselves, others have problems sleeping or appetite, some become violent or turn to drugs or alcohol.

How can we feel better?

It is important to realize that most mental illnesses/disorders can be successfully treated. It is also important to talk about our emotions, express them and not keep them to ourselves. Here, it is necessary to be careful that we express our emotions (sadness, anger) in ways that do not harm ourselves and/or others.

In order to feel better, it is also important to find and engage in activities that make us happy and are good at them, treat ourselves well, take care of our physical health, hang out with people in whose company we feel good, and we do not run away from problems, but try to face them.

How can we help a friend or acquaintance in need?

If we notice signs in a friend or acquaintance that could indicate that he is in distress, we talk to him. It often presents an honest conversation to the individual. If the problem is too big to solve alone, we refer the friend to someone they can trust. This can be a teacher, a school counselor, a family member, or someone who offers help professionally.

But when seeking help, we often encounter various obstacles. Especially when it comes to seeking help from different professionals (healthcare worker, doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist), the person who needs help may experience fears of help, self-reliance, suicidal thoughts, shame, fear of misunderstanding, feeling of being close to the environment and ignorance or unavailability of assistance systems. That is why it is important to encourage and support a friend in seeking help, and to support him, including by accompanying him to a person who can provide him with help.

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