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WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH?

Mental health describes one’s psychological and emotional well-being. It affects our daily lives, and is something that everyone should be cognizant of, both for themselves and for others, during every stage of life. Poor mental health can affect different people in different ways, but with the right approach, can improve over time. Examples of mental illnesses include bipolar disorder, depression, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), etc.

WARNING SIGNS OF POOR MENTAL HEALTH

Observing your own behavior for certain warning signs is essential to maintaining good mental health and knowing when to seek help. Potential warning signs include:

• Purposely avoiding people/relationships

• Perpetual feelings of hopelessness/despair

• Frequent fights with friends and family

• Feeling like nothing matters; numbness

• etc.

MYTHS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

“Poor mental health is a result of an individual being weak or lazy. People with mental health problems can snap out of it if they just try hard enough.”
Mental health issues are unrelated to laziness. There are many factors that can contribute to poor mental health, such as biological factors (genes, brain chemistry, etc) and life experiences (trauma, abuse, etc). 
“It is impossible to recover from mental health problems.”
Studies show that those struggling with mental health are often able to recover successfully, through therapy and other support systems.

APPROACHING MENTAL HEALTH

Most people will encounter some form of mental health struggle in their lifetime, and it’s important for us to know how to interact with people when they share their struggles. When discussing, make sure that you do not pressure them to share anything they do not wish to, keep questions open ended, and, above all, to listen carefully to what they are saying and respond empathetically.