Mental health is a state of well-being in which you can enjoy life and cope with challenges. It includes how you think, feel and behave, and how you relate to others. Mental health is just as important as physical health. It affects your ability to function at home, school and work. It also reflects how you handle stress, deal with problems and make decisions.
Everyone needs good mental health to enjoy their lives. If you have a mental illness, treatment can help you recover and live a fulfilling life. It may include talking therapies, such as group, family and individual therapy. It may also include medicines, such as antidepressants for depression or mood stabilisers for bipolar disorder. It can also be helpful to eat a healthy diet and get enough sleep. And it’s important to have a strong support system.
The causes of mental illnesses are complex and vary between people. But some things increase your risk, including genes, life events and environmental factors. For example, having a close relative with a mental illness increases your chance of getting one yourself. And using drugs or alcohol can trigger some mental illnesses, such as paranoia or schizophrenia.
Some communities have greater difficulty accessing mental health care than others. This can be because of a lack of services or because of stigma and discrimination. It’s important to tackle the stigma around mental illness by talking openly and honestly. Choose your words carefully – avoid phrases such as “suffer from” (which denotes pity) and “battling” (bellicose language can create a perception of winners and losers). Use specific conditions instead: “She has bipolar disorder” or “He has schizophrenia.” And remember that a minority of violent crimes are committed by people with mental illnesses.