What is Mental Health?
What is Mental Health?
By Charlotte Besnoy
As a high schooler, my mental health affects me everyday. Whether it is in academic or social situations, my emotional health is directly connected to how I relate to others. Mental health is defined as the psychological, emotional, and social well-being of a person. It affects how one feels and acts. It can also determine a person’s decision-making abilities. Emotional-well being is your ability to feel and express a range of emotions in a healthy manner. Your psychological-well being is your mindset, self-esteem, and ability to cope with life's demands. Your social-well being is how you interact with others and contribute to your community. When one of these components is not working, our mental health will feel off balance.
Why is it important?
Mental health is important because it has the power to overshadow everything in your life. Especially when it becomes negative and overwhelming. If you have depression or experience extreme sadness in your life it is hard to function on a daily basis. When someone feels this way it can lead them to think dark thoughts of self harm.
In September 2023 a friend of mine from summer camp took her life. She was a strong member of our camp community and such a bright light. We were all shocked to hear the news because she hid her struggles from so many. We learned that this is common for people who suffer with mental illness because many teens hide their pain because of shame.
The suicide rate for those aged ten to twenty four has increased by sixty-two percent since 2007 and over four thousand suicide attempts occur daily.
Heavy social media use can also contribute to depression. For instance, one in five teens expressed that social media hurt their mental health. Consequently, forty-one percent of teens with high social media use claim that they have experienced a drop in their school grades and motivation.
These dismal statistics show we are in a major mental health crisis for youth in America right now.
Mental Health vs Mental Illness
So, what is the difference between mental-health and mental-illness? I’m so glad you asked!
Mental health is a continuum; you can have good mental health and still face challenges (like stress or sadness) just as you can have good physical health and catch a cold.
Mental illness involves significant impacts on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that interfere with daily functioning, like persistent low energy, severe mood swings, or changes in sleep/eating.
You can have mental illness and still work towards good mental health through treatment and self-care! But, most people with mental illness use medication to manage their symptoms. A psychologist or psychiatrist can diagnose your illness and determine if that’s necessary. Keep in mind that good mental health can still exist alongside a diagnosed illness. Think of it like physical health: everyone has physical health, but a broken arm is a specific illness; similarly, everyone has mental health, but bipolar disorder is a mental illness.
How can I help?
There are three ways you, yes you, can help mental health; Educate, advocate, and fund raise.
Educate- Help teach others about mental health and it’s affects on teens. Learn the facts. Try to make changes that benefit you in your own life.
Advocate- Reach out to representatives about mental health issues, remember: just because you can’t vote, doesn’t mean you don’t have a voice. To save mental health programs in NJ, sign here
Fund raise- Donate to mental health organizations to help make an impact on legislation and protection.
You can purchase U R Loved bracelets for $18 here! All proceeds go directly to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
