Everyone has mental health and we can all experience times where we feel less able to deal with stressful situations. Good mental health relates to experiencing positive psychological and emotional well-being. When you feel good mentally, you may feel much more able to achieve your goals and enjoy life.
Good mental health builds resilience, and if you are feeling more resilient, you're able to cope with what life throws at you; at other times you might require more support to bounce back.
Mental health problems can range from experiencing worries and anxiety as part of everyday life to serious long-term conditions. Most people who experience mental ill health can make a full recovery and learn to live a fulfilling life with or without ongoing symptoms of their condition, particularly if they get the right support early on.
Simply put, this is when our mental health is not what we would want it to be. Finding it difficult to manage how we think, feel, act or how to manage daily stresses, could be a sign of poor mental health. Having continuous episodes of poor mental health could be a sign of a possible mental illness.
A mental illness is a diagnosable, and treatable, health condition which can be severe enough to disrupt everyday life.
Experiencing a mental health problem can be very traumatic and isolating. If you suspect someone may be experiencing a mental health problem, mental illness or having suicidal thoughts, talking to them about it may really help in their road to recovery.
All you need to do is start the conversation. By being understanding, tactful and gentle, there’s a better chance that someone will want to talk. Some useful phrases are: - Are you ok? - Is there anything you want to talk about? - Is there anything I can do? - Why don’t we have a coffee and talk about it? - I’ve been a bit worried about you. - I’d really like to help
