0
Like physical health, everyone has mental health. Physical health is the state of your body, and mental health is the state of your mind, feelings and emotions.
Like physical health, mental health is always there, and it’s fine to have good and bad days. Physical health can influence mental health, both positively and negatively. So can life experiences, work or school environment, relationships, and the type of community you live in.
Being mentally healthy enables you to feel, think and act in ways that help you enjoy life and cope with its challenges. Poor mental health may result in feeling unhappy, difficulty thinking clearly, or feeling overwhelmed by stressful situations.
Resiliency – the inner-strength you use to cope with stressful situations – is also a big part of mental health. To be resilient means you can effectively cope with ups and downs that are part of life.
Building resiliency can help you avoid being overwhelmed by stressful situations. This in turn further builds resiliency – it gives you the confidence to know you can get through difficult times when they come up again.
It’s important to give your mental health ongoing care and attention. There are things you can do to maintain good mental health, and other factors that influence mental health to learn about to help you build your understanding.
What is mental illness?
While mental health is always there and may be positive or negative, mental illness affects a person’s ability to function over a long period of time.
Mental illness is not the same as feeling sad, unhappy or stressed because of difficult situations such as the death of a loved one, job loss or breakup with a partner (although these events can contribute to mental illness). People with mental illness feel distressed regularly and may not feel in control of their lives.
Types and signs of mental illness
There are many different kinds of mental illness including:
mood disorders
anxiety disorders
eating disorders
post-traumatic stress disorder
schizophrenia
Experiencing any of these illnesses can be very challenging, but mental illnesses can be treated.
This helps:
h t tp s://b it .ly/ 3s UC 1 H R
Mental illnesses usually start in adolescence or young adulthood and involve changes in behaviour, mood or thinking. Symptoms can vary. Generally, a person will experience significant distress or an inability to function over an extended time.
Anyone can develop a mental illness. Some risk factors that increase this chance are:
Family history of mental illness
Unresolved traumatic or abusive childhood experiences
Stressful life events, such as a loved one’s death, financial problems or divorce
Environmental influences on a fetus, such as exposure to drugs or alcohol
Social, economic or educational status
