What is mental health?
The World Health Organisation1 defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realises 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.”
Enjoying “good mental health” does not mean not experiencing mental health distress at all as in life, we are constantly exposed to multiple challenges, be it in school, relationships or work. More importantly, is knowing how to build our resilience and cope with these challenges.
Mental Illnesses
They may cause significant and prolonged distress to your daily life and relationships. At its worst, people may turn to self-harm and suicide as a way to cope with the distress.
WHAT EXACTLY CAUSES A MENTAL ILLNESS?
Most mental illnesses involve a change in brain chemicals but
there is no single cause. Instead, a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors is usually responsible for the onset of an illness.
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BIOLOGICAL: genetics, chemical imbalances in the brain
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PSYCHOLOGICAL: low self-esteem, poor coping skills, adverse childhood experiences
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ENVIRONMENTAL: Life stressors such as unemployment, school, family…
Mental illnesses can be treated. Treatment is most effective when implemented as soon as possible. To do this, we must first recognise the symptoms of common mental illnesses. Read more
here.
