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Oct 24, 2024 · mental illness. noun. variants or mental disorder. : a medical condition that is marked by a mild to severe disturbance in the way a person thinks, feels, or acts and is usually accompanied by distress and problems functioning in daily activities or interacting with others. mentally ill adjective.
- Overview
- What is mental illness?
- What is mental health?
- Frequently asked questions
- Tips to support your mental health and well-being
- The bottom line
Everyone has mental health, but not everyone receives a diagnosis involving a mental illness. Mental health includes your overall well-being. Mental illnesses are diagnosable mental health conditions.
The definitions of mental health and mental illness will vary, depending on who you ask. Even within the medical community, these terms have no single definition.
But many agree that while mental illness falls under the umbrella of mental health, the two terms aren’t interchangeable.
Just because your mental health isn’t in great shape doesn’t always mean you have a mental illness. And just because you live with a mental illness doesn’t necessarily mean your mental health is currently in a bad place.
Mental illnesses — also called mental health conditions or mental disorders — are diagnosable conditions. They often involve a highly distressing change in your thinking, emotions, or behaviors and can affect how you perform some daily activities.
To receive a diagnosis involving any mental health condition, a mental health professional will interview you to learn about:
•the symptoms you’re experiencing
•how long they’ve been happening
•how severe they are
•potential causes of your symptoms
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health includes your social, emotional, and psychological well-being. It’s more than simply the absence of mental illness.
The World Health Organization describes “good” mental health as someone being capable of:
•effectively coping with stressors
•learning and working well
•contributing to their community
Still, mental health is complex, and your mental health will be unique to you. What looks like good mental health for one person won’t be the same for someone else. Remember, you can have good mental health while living with a mental health condition.
Can you have poor mental health without a mental illness?
Yes. Poor mental health doesn’t mean you have a mental health condition. You can experience a low mood without living with depression or be anxious without having an anxiety disorder. Poor mental health might occur due to: •burnout •mental exhaustion or physical fatigue •grief •physical health conditions •stress You could be having challenges with your mood, sleep, appetite, or performing daily activities for many reasons. It doesn’t mean you fit the criteria of having a mental health condition.
Can you have a mental illness with good mental health?
Yes. This may seem confusing, as most symptoms of mental health conditions involve distress that can affect how you perform some daily activities. But many people live with mental illnesses that are in remission or stabilized with medication, therapy, and self-care tools. Their mental health may currently be in a good place, but that doesn’t mean they don’t live with a mental health condition.
Can you prevent mental illness?
There’s no reliable way to prevent a mental illness from occurring. But a 2022 research review suggested that certain skills can reduce someone’s chances of developing certain conditions, like learning about effective coping skills in early childhood. The concept of prevention is complex because many factors go into someone developing a mental health condition in the first place. Mental illnesses develop due to a combination of factors, including: •genetics •brain chemistry •environmental factors •social determinants of health •early childhood experiences such as trauma or abuse •personality traits •other coexisting health conditions •substance misuse
Just as your physical health changes over time, so does your mental health. What helps you cope with stress and take care of yourself will change — and that’s OK.
Many people face hard times that affect their mental well-being. Periods of good mental health then follow these.
A good first step for supporting your mental health involves discovering coping skills that work well for you. These might include:
•journaling
•meditation or mindfulness practices
•using cognitive behavioral therapy techniques like reframing
Mental health is not mental illness. Mental health is your health and well-being. It can be great, poor, or somewhere in the middle.
Many people experience ups and downs in their mental health, but it doesn’t mean they have a mental illness.
A mental illness is a health condition. Each mental health condition has its criteria for reaching a diagnosis.
If you believe you might have a mental health condition, or your mental health feels like it’s changed, you’re not alone. You can find support in learning daily coping tools, taking care of your physical health, and contacting a professional for support or therapy.
Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses can be associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities.
Oct 14, 2024 · Mental illnesses are illnesses characterized by the presence of mental pathology: that is, disturbances of mental functioning, analogous to disturbances of bodily functioning. Like physical illness the concept is, therefore, fundamentally evaluative and linked to issues of social control and regulation.
May 26, 2021 · The difference between the terms mental health and mental illness isn’t clear to many, and the two terms are often used as if they mean the same thing—except they don’t. In short, everyone has degrees of mental health, and everyone will experience forms of a mental health issue, problem, or concern at some stage in life
Apr 12, 2018 · Often the terms “mental illness” and “mental health” are used interchangeably as if they are the same dimension. From this perspective, someone either has a “disorder” and requires ...
May 22, 2024 · Mental health and mental illness are not the same thing. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), mental illness refers to “conditions that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, or behavior.” These can include but aren’t limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.
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