ColumnsHealthOpinionMental Health: What It Is Not

The term “mental health” is a word that has been misinterpreted by many to mean different things. Some of these assumptions have thus become factual information overtime to many, breeding some form of aversion towards the concept; hence, it is important to debunk the myth surrounding mental health.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps to determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. It is important to note that mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood; every one, as long as you have breath, has mental health to be cared for (children though, due to their high level of dependability, have the responsibility of their mental health carefully dependent on their caregivers or suitable external support).

Moving forward, mental health is not the absence of unpleasant emotions. Though mental health has been often conceptualised as a purely positive effect marked by feelings of happiness and a sense of mastery over the environment, but it should be understood that feelings of sadness, unhappiness, anger, and unwellness can also be experienced by people in a good mental health state. This leads to the second misconception of mental health.

Mental health is not a sign of weakness. Experiencing different emotions, whether pleasant or unpleasant, is part of life; the mark of good mental health is the ability to recognise a feeling for what it is and the capacity to manage it well such that it does not progress farther than is necessary. The feeling of sadness, for instance, can emerge due to an unexpected result or an unfavorable sudden happening; however, the ability to manage (not deny) this feeling can make it temporary rather than progressing into chronic depression; likewise the feeling of excitement.

Also, mental health is not mental illness. Mental illnesses are disorders that affect one’s behaviour and mood. An example of mental illness is Anxiety Disorder. It is a mental disorder characterised by extreme feelings of anxiety, worry, and fear strong enough to disrupt one’s daily activities. Another is Bipolar Disorder- a disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs. Others are psychosis, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorders, just to mention but a few. Mental illnesses are often beyond the individual’s control and require medical intervention just like heart disease, to be corrected; therefore, it is nothing to be ashamed of.

In a nutshell, good mental health is the ability to learn, feel, express, and manage a range of positive and negative emotions. It is also the ability to form and maintain good relationships with others and cope with/manage change and uncertainty. Mental health is a part of every individual that helps improve self-awareness in uncontrollable or chaotic incidents in life and fosters physical health amongst its numerous benefits.

Having explained the concept of mental health, it helps to remember that flexibility is an important quality in maintaining a good mental health state.