Mental Health and Mental Illnesses - Essay Example

Part The World Health Organization defines health as “a of complete physical and mental well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. (World Health Organization, n.d) This definition of health includes both physical and mental components which are interdependent and hence it is a more wholesome definition. The physical component refers to bodily health and fitness which is determined by our genetic framework to a large extent and also by the proper diet, regular exercise routine and positive lifestyle that is adopted by the individual. The mental component includes the emotional and cognitive functioning of the mind that in turn determines the behavior and character of an individual. Additionally the definition also includes environmental factors and the need for social interaction as they also contribute to the well-being of an individual. Thus in order to be in optimum health individuals must have good body fitness, ability to mentally cope with and handle situations and also a sense of social responsibility (World Health Organization, n.d; Nordqvist, 2009). Part 2 Mental health, according to the World Health Organization, is defined as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her own community” (Nordqvist, 2009; World Health Organization, 2007). While many assume mental health to be the mere absence of any mental illness, the definition is insufficient in many ways as mental health plays an important role in the daily routine irrespective of the presence or absence of an illness. Just as how the body needs to be taken care of by eating the right food and with regular exercise, the mental health and well-being also needs to be taken care by having a positive attitude towards life, engaging in interesting activities and making the best use of the available time, and be able to adapt and face any given situation without giving up. Mental well-being of a person is extremely vital as only in such a state does a person realize true happiness and joy which is the basic requirement for our existence (Nordqvist, 2009; NHS Lothian, n.d). Part 3 Mental health of an individual is vital for performing daily routine activities and being in a positive and happy frame of mind would help people to complete their tasks. The genetic makeup of an individual and the surrounding environment determines their mental health as research studies have proven that these two components play an important role in mental health and illness. Thus one of the major sources which provide information about such conditions is scientific research published in journals and other medical papers and these articles have helped me to gain a better insight about mental health and illness. There has been considerable research carried out to determine the cause and risk factors for several mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, depression and other mental health disorders. The awareness created by these articles about the mental disorders has considerably increased over the past years. The various myths associated with mental disorders are also broken by the mouthing scientific evidence that explain the basis of such conditions. Apart from such articles, knowledge about such mental disorders can also be gleaned from known people affected with a mental disorder. Following their case study would help to learn more about the illness, its treatment modality and the subsequent results can also be observed first hand. In case of close relatives their mental state prior to and after the onset of the mental illness can be observed thus helping to understand the disorder and the causes behind its occurrence more clearly. As an example, my aunt who has frequent schizophrenic attacks has helped me to learn about the illness and the causes that trigger its onset. Irregular intake of medications or a negative and unhealthy environment is the major causes for its occurrence. In addition to the above two cases when individuals face certain situations which are difficult to handle they themselves tend to experience depressive or anxious moments which is reflected by a change in the mental state and they would not be able to perform their activities normally. I have experienced such anxious and tense situations and the mental state has affected the way I speak or perform activities. Hence these are the three sources through which I have got an idea about mental health and illness. Mental illness affects both the body and the mind. Hence both the physical and mental state of the individual is compromised during a mental illness. People with mental illness generally have problems with eating and hence they may experience problems that occur due to nutritional deficiencies or on the contrary might gain excess weight as a result of overeating. Additionally mental illness, in most cases, is associated with sleep related problems and sleep deprivation can affect the general health of a mentally ill individual. There is also a considerable lack of physical activity as such individuals prefer to remain in closed quarters and in solitude without any activity. In some cases individuals might be over excited and carry out tasks in a hasty manner which could also have an affect their health. Thus all the important criteria required to lead a normal and healthy life is severely compromised in a mentally ill individual. However, with adequate care and consideration together with medical support can definitely help the person to stay healthy and hasten the recovery process. Caretakers should ensure that mentally ill individuals eat on time and engage themselves in activities that would provide a vent to their mental condition. Most importantly emphasis should be laid on regular intake of medicines and doctor visits should be met. Hence all these together could help the person to remain healthy during and after the recovery process. It must be borne in mind that faster recovery from the mental condition could help the individual to retain better health compared to a slower recovery period Recovery from any illness should help the individual to lead a better and a more meaningful life. More so in the case of mentally ill individuals who in addition to experiencing physical symptoms also lose their normal thinking and reasoning ability during the illness. While individuals with other disorders are able to understand their problem, mentally ill people are generally not aware of their condition and hence lose their life during their period of illness. As these individuals slowly recover back to normal they realize that they have missed a phase in their lives and hence wish to make up for the loss by leading a more meaningful and normal life. Thus recovery from a mental illness does not merely imply clinical and emotional recovery from the symptoms of the illness but also to move ahead with life with a positive attitude. Caretakers should ensure that people recovering from a mental illness should not be made to feel abnormal; instead should encourage them to engage in activities that would help them to come back to normalcy. Constant engagement will boost their self confidence and give them the hope of leading a meaningful life. People with mental illness generally suffer from low self-esteem. This could arise when relatives and friends pass negative comments about them or when they are no longer able to feel confident about themselves after they learn about their illness. Such low self-esteem can have a considerable impact on the person’s personal, professional and social life as they would have a constant feeling that they will be able to meet expectations. People with mental illness can also become vulnerable and hence be subjected to violence and other forms of abuse. This could give them a feeling of being used and worthless. It is also very unfortunate that even today’s modern society still views people with mental illness as abnormal and treat them likewise even after recovery. This lack of acceptance only aggravates the mental condition of these individuals. Another stigma associated with people with mental illness is that they are not capable to leading a normal family life. Not many individuals would come forward to marry people with mental problems and hence as a result such people are not provided with an opportunity to lead a normal family life and have children. Even after marriage their spouses hesitate to have children as they fear the children would also suffer from a similar condition. Thus such stigmas prevent individuals with mental illness from enjoying the pleasures of life and only leave them brooding and unhappy. References 1. World Health Organization. (n.d) WHO definition of health. [Online] Available from http://www.who.int/about/definition/en/print.html [Accessed 3rd August 2010] 2. Nordqvist, C. (2009) What is health? What does good health mean? [Online] Available from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php [Accessed 3rd August 2010] 3. World Health Organization. (2007) What is mental health? [Online] Available from http://www.who.int/features/qa/62/en/print.html [Accessed 3rd August 2010] 4. NHS Lothian. (n.d) Healthy lifestyle- Mental Well-Being. [Online] Available from http://www.nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk/YourHealth/healthylifestyle/mental.asp [Accessed 3rd August 2010] Read More