We Are All Mad Here

Before knowing about its importance, it is necessary to know what mental health exactly. Mental health involves emotional, psychological, and social well-being. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) mental health is, "... a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community."

How we handle stress, interact with others and our own feelings and actions are all guided by our mental health. Mental health is just as important as physical health. We need to know how to cope with the problems of life!

A topic which is closely tied to mental health is mental illness. A mental illness is a disorder that results in mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or behavior, resulting in trouble in carrying out everyday tasks. Different factors, like environmental stressors, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these are responsible for the development of the same.

Knowing about mental health eliminates the stigma surrounding this topic.If someone close to us was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, we wouldn’t go around calling that person “crazy” or “an attention seeker”.We would try to know more about what the disorder is and what its treatments are. Many think that the people suffering are either lazy or just “faking” it.Explanations for such illnesses are either that they are crazy, or are possessed by demons, violent, out of control and unsafe.This present stigma needs to change immediately.

A certain level of stress is important. It drives us to finish our tasks and accomplish our goals. However, too much of anything is not good. Thus, one should be aware of their limits, and give themselves mental health breaks at regular intervals.