Skip to main content

R u ok? Beyond Blue

What is mental health?

It’s an expression we use every day, so it might surprise you that the term ‘mental health’ is frequently misunderstood.
‘Mental health’ is often used as a substitute for mental health conditions – such as depression, anxiety conditions, schizophrenia, and others.
According to the World Health Organization, however, mental health is “a state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”
So rather than being about ‘what’s the problem?’ it’s really about ‘what’s going well?'

''Mental health is about wellness rather than illness''

To make things a bit clearer, some experts have tried coming up with different terms to explain the difference between ‘mental health’ and ‘mental health conditions’. Phrases such as ‘good mental health’, ‘positive mental health’, ‘mental wellbeing’, ‘subjective wellbeing’ and even ‘happiness’ have been proposed by various people to emphasise that mental health is about wellness rather than illness. While some say this has been helpful, others argue that using more words to describe the same thing just adds to the confusion.
As a result, others have tried to explain the difference by talking about a continuum where mental health is at one end of the spectrum – represented by feeling good and functioning well – while mental health conditions (or mental illness) are at the other – represented by symptoms that affect people’s thoughts, feelings or behaviour.

The benefits of staying well

Research shows that high levels of mental health are associated with increased learning, creativity and productivity, more pro-social behaviour and positive social relationships, and with improved physical health and life expectancy. In contrast, mental health conditions can cause distress, impact on day-to-day functioning and relationships, and are associated with poor physical health and premature death from suicide. 
But it’s important to remember that mental health is complex. The fact that someone is not experiencing a mental health condition doesn’t necessarily mean their mental health is flourishing. Likewise, it’s possible to be diagnosed with a mental health condition while feeling well in many aspects of life. 
Ultimately, mental health is about being cognitively, emotionally and socially healthy – the way we think, feel and develop relationships - and not merely the absence of a mental health condition.
You are never alone. If you see signs reach out. I think we all have bad days. But some days are hard. Sometimes people don't realise there is help out there. This foundation does a lot of good. 
#helpinghand #beyondblue #iamstillawoman #depression #survivor 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Hard nipples" - areola or nipple skin

Someone once wrote"... when i get really cold, or get goosebumbs all over my body, the whole things really scrunch up, like, my entire areola scrunches itself up into a wrinkled little mound. it looks really weird and ugly, and i haven't ever seen other people's breasts do it. what is wrong with my areola/nipples??" The answer: Well nothing is wrong. This is what my areola does too. It's a normal reaction to the coldness or to irritation / stimulation. The little muscles in the areola do a similar goosebump thing as your other skin can do. People often call this phenomenon "hard nipples". Also note that skin on areola has less feeling or sensation to it than other areas of your body. If the areola was very sensitive, then breastfeeding would probably be quite uncomfortable because the baby pulls and tugs it! The nipples are sensitive but the sensitivity changes with hormonal changes, such as occur at mestrual cycle or pregnancy. Also this v...
8 comments
Read more

Mastectomy Drain Breast Cancer Treatment

The  purpose of drains after mastectomy  is to drain away the fluid that can gather in the armpit region or around the scar on the chest wall. Some people after mastectomy also find that fluid gathers around the shoulder blade area on their back - this seems more common if the muscle from the back has been used for  breast reconstruction  at the time the mastectomy was done. When mastectomy is done - and especially if the lymph nodes are removed from the axilla or armpit - then there is a lot of tissue fluid and lymph fluid left with no where to go. This fluid normally flows through the lymph channels but if they are cut then it can escape into the normal skin and muscle tissues. Your surgeon will place drains under your skin after mastectomy. These drains gather up the fluid and remove it to a bottle (or bottles) that you carry around with you. Some people use a  belt clip to attach the drain  to their waistband - making them more mobile. Others car...
8 comments
Read more

Pancreatic Cancer breakthrough

Published Today By  Ana Sandoiu Fact checked  by Jasmin Collier New research now published in the  Journal of Natural Products  shows that a vine compound is highly effective in the fight against treatment-resistant pancreatic cancer cells. #cancer #cells #pancreaticcancer #breakthrough #natural #journalofnaruralproducts #cure #survivor #iamstillawoman #Anasandiou #jasmincollier A type of rainforest vine may hold the key to effective cancer treatments.  Pancreatic cancer  is notoriously difficult to treat, and the condition has a poor outlook. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the 5-year survival rate for people with early-stage exocrine pancreatic cancer is  12–14 percent . A  new study  explains why that is and offers a potential solution. Gerhard Bringmann, a professor of organic chemistry at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in Germany.  Specifically, human pancreatic ...
9 comments
Read more