What is “Mental Health”? We hear the term all the time but does anyone truly know what it means. Its a term that involves a lot of things and it can be interpreted in many different ways.  It generally comes with a negative stigma attached to it, as if something is bad, wrong or a person is damaged, but that is simply not the case.   

So lets break a few things down with regards to "Mental Health"..

Lets first look at a definition of "Mental Health" from the World Health Organization.  The WHO states "Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”  

Mental health refers to an individual's cognitive, behavioral, and emotional well-being (both good, and well.... not so good). It involves how people think, feel, and behave.  Depending on an individual's mental health status (well or not), it can affect simple daily living, relationships and even one's physical health, again in both good and not so good ways.  Understanding and managing one's mental health can be the difference in a person enjoying life or have the feeling they are trapped in a body they have no control over.  

Being able to reach a balance between life’s activities and one's psychological resilience can be challenging for many, but possible. 

For most individuals the term “mental health” is most commonly used to describe a wide range of psychological disorders that can range in severity, thus making the term mental health only linked to negative. The most common conditions I hear about daily and most of my clients are working through are stress, depression, and anxiety.  

Mental Health conditions/ illnesses/disorders, affect a person's mental health to where it disrupts daily routines, interactions and relationships.  And while the term mental health is most commonly used to describe a wide range of psychological disorders, we should start looking as mental health as just that, the health of your psychological/mental state/abilities, both good and challenging.  The term “Mental Health” seems to always carry the negative when Mental Health can also mean an individual has the coping skills, resiliency, and more, to live a full and happy life.  Furthermore having a condition diagnosis does not automatically sentence you to a life sentence of doom and gloom.

Risk factors for mental health conditions 
Everyone to some degree has a risk of developing mental health challenges, no matter their age, sex, income, or ethnicity. Mental health challenges do not discriminate.  Factors such as social, environmental, biological and financial circumstances, lifestyle choices along with how one was raised, can all factor in and shape a person’s mental health (again both in the positive and the negative). In addition it should be noted that many people will be challenged with more than one condition at a time.  It should also be stated that there is not a blanket symptom/diagnosis for all, everyone is different, and what may affect one person one way, may not affect another the same.  This also involves those conditions/illnesses that are considered hereditatary or biological. Not everyone will "get" an illness just because a family member has a certain diagnosis, and the opposite is true in that someone can develop an illness that no one else in their family has. 

Some signs that someone may be experiencing Mental Health challenges

• withdrawing from friends and/or family
• avoiding or no longer interested in activities that they would normally enjoy
• sleeping too much or too little
• feeling hopeless, or having the "why bother" statements
• having consistently low energy
• using substances, including alcohol and nicotine, more frequently
• displaying negative emotions or outbursts
• being confused or unfocused for longer periods of time
• being unable to complete daily tasks, such as getting ready for work or cooking a meal
• thinking of causing physical harm to themselves or others
• hearing voices or experiencing delusions

The above just names a few things.  If anyone is experiencing any of these challenges, emotions, behaviors or more, seeking help would be benificial.  Help can come in many different ways from physicians and psycologists to self-help and support options, depending on the syptoms, severity of symtoms and root cause. 

Is there Treatment
There are various methods for managing mental health challenges. Treatment is highly individual, and what works for one person may not work for another.  Many factors go into finding the treatment that is right for you and your condition you are trying to treat.  

Treatments can include:

• Psychotherapy, or other therapies that can include cognitive behavioral therapy, exposure therapy, and others.  These are normally done while working with a mental health professional.
• Medications can be used in some some cases for some conditions in correlation with therapy from a licensed professional. 
• Self-monitoring with regards to reducing alcohol intake, better sleep habits, and eating a balanced diet.
• Implementing relaxation techniques, which include deep breathing,restorative yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.
• Building a support network, this can be friends, family and even support groups.

Mental Health can be complicated and does encompass a wide range of conditions, emotions, behaviors, factors and treatments, as well as everyone expereinces mental health challenges differently. We also should remember the term "Mental Health" does not always mean illness or negative health.  Someone who has identified their emotional challenges and have learned coping skills to manage these challenges can have good mental health and life a productive and happy life.  Those who are experience challenges and do not have coping mechanisms yet, its not to late.  Reach out to those supports in your immediate circle or community.  Good mental health can be achieved and can be just a phone call away.