Many people use the words mental health and mental illness interchangeably, people also
think mental health and mental illness are the same but they are not the same, far from
it.
Some health experts are considering developing new terms for mental health in order to develop
a clear difference between mental health and mental illness, the terms being considered
are ‘positive mental health’ ‘mental wellbeing’ and ‘subjective well being’
Mental illness refers to conditions or also known as mental disorders that affect a persons
thinking, feeling, mood or behaviour such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder,
schizophrenia etc
Mental health reflects our psychological, emotional and social well being affecting
how we think, feel and act.
The world health organisation defines mental health as “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 can contribute to her or his community”
Mental health and mental illness are similar to physical health and physical illness.
Mental health is the state of your mind and physical health is the state of your body.
Everyone has mental health, regardless if it’s good or bad but not everyone has a
mental illness.
It’s the same for physical health and physical illness
Everyone has physical health regardless if it’s good or bad, but not everyone has a
physical illness.
People can experience poor mental health without having a mental illness, everyone has days
where we feel a bit down, stressed out or overwhelmed but that doesn’t mean we have
a mental illness.
On the flip side it’s possible to have good mental health whilst being diagnosed with
a mental illness because there are times when someone with a mental illness may have a good
day or a bad day depending on the diagnosis and person.
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 or feeling
overwhelmed.
Nobody should take their mental health for granted, just like our physical health we
need to take action to say happy and healthy.
Here are some ways you can stay mentally healthy
Making more time for yourself
Getting more sleep
Being active and exercise
Managing your stress and stress levels
Having a healthy diet
Being social
Asking for help if you feel yourself struggling.
Hopefully this video has helped you learn the difference between
mental health and
mental illness.