Mental Health Counseling

What is Mental Health

Written by John Potter

Mental health generally refers to an overall emotional and psychological well being of an individual. Mental health is generally much more than the lack of a mental disorder, as is evident when we say some people are mentally healthier than others. Therefore mental health is more of a positive indication than the lack of something negative. For the overall well being, mental health is as important, if not more, than the physical health. The official definition of mental health as given by the World Health Organization is “Mental health is a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his o r her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.” There are several theories, explanations and definitions of mental health that do not necessarily concur. However, there are certain aspects of mental health that are more or less agreed upon by everyone. There are several models of mental health and overall well being. There is no general agreement on this issue, since the subject is so complex. Some aspects of our life and personality indicate good mental health, like a balance between work, leisure, friendship, love, self esteem, sense of self control, creativity, sense of humor, exercise, stress management etc. Through these parameters, it is possible to get a general overall sense of well being and being in good mental health. Poor mental health doesn’t necessarily indicate a mental disorder, but such people will be more prone to these disorders.  One of the first aspects of a good mental health is the ability of a person to enjoy his life. Hardships are encountered by everyone, and no one gets everything that he desires. Life is a mixture of success and failure, and neither phase is ever permanent. Therefore someone with good mental health will realize this and enjoy the small moments of life, while also taking pleasure in the bigger successes. Even if hardships and sorrows are encountered, the reaction to these is never the same and it depends on the individual. Therefore, for maintaining a good mental health, it is essential that a positive approach towards life is adopted. The ability to come out of sorrowful and depressing events is a good measure of the mental health. People with a good mental health will be more ready to embrace change and move on, and this ability in turn affects the person’s mental health. The mind, just like the body, needs a balanced diet of thoughts. In order to maintain a good mental health, you should have some balance in life between work and recreation, spending time with friends and spending time alone, etc. This balance is the way of nature and therefore essential for mental health. Neglecting important aspects of life like a good social life or a sense of self esteem will cause a poor mental health in most cases. Also, depending on the stage of the life, mental health is dependent on a number of other parameters as well. For example, in adolescent and adult life, sexuality is an important part of mental health of the individuals. For this group, the ability to involve in healthy relationship with others is also important. In a work life, a general sense of self esteem is very important and during childhood, a free environment where the child is loved and cared for and also given the space to expand his intellect and creativity is important. Traumatic childhood, death of a loved one, involvement in abusive relationships etc. are some very strong reasons for a poor mental health. Therefore such people need special care and attention, as they are much more prone to poor mental health and also susceptible to mental disorders that may arise in the future if the current mental state continues. There has been a growing concern about mental health in the tough times that we live in, with so much of stress in life. With an increase in awareness, there have been many initiatives to promote better mental health in the society through small groups. For example, Columbia student groups have started being actively involved in mental health. This has become more and important today, during these economically turbulent times with the looming recession in most countries the world over. Recession has not only taken its toll on the mental health of Americans, but also affects their physical health adversely. It is very difficult to judge the mental health of individuals, since there is no universal definition of mental health and also because it is a very subjective matter. Mental health is closely related to social and religious considerations of the individual. It also depends on the community, culture and profession of the individual, and differences in these aspects will invariably lead to differences in the diagnosis and methodology for improvement.

 

< Prev		Next >