Mental Illness vs. Mental Health Part II

By: Rosemary Callahan, MA, CADC CODP-I, CRSS

Since we discussed mental illness and all that comes with mental illness in the previous post, we should also discuss mental health. The development of mental illness as well as mental health is determined by many, many different reasons including personal and societal factors, emotions, trauma, and norms within our culture. And surprise! There is a lot of overlap. Mental health is not just the absence of mental illness. One hundred percent of us have mental health, but not every one of us has a mental illness. Individuals with mental illness have mental health and a lot of us could benefit from improving it. In conclusion, it’s complicated, but you will be fine.

As I previously said, the last blog post laid out some basics in regard to mental illness. In terms of mental health, the World Health Organization (WHO) defines it as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community.”

There are a couple things to say about the WHO’s definition of mental health. First of all, how dare you WHO… How could you be so disrespectful?! We have had a hard year! Give us a little break! Accomplishing even one of these parts of the definition should be considered a win. I mean “cope with normal stresses of life” and be “fruitful?” What does that even mean in the year 2021? Whatever it is, it’s unrealistic so please do not be alarmed or think negatively about yourself because we are going to ease into this a bit.

Mental health can be thought of as a feeling of a positive state of mind and being. Maybe an “everything’s gonna to be alright” feeling like when your dog is stoked to see you every time you come in the door or when you look up at the stars while fishing under a bridge. It may feel like your psyche is in line with your situation which is in line with cosmic forces. The ride may not be smooth, but things do not rattle you too much.

So, what contributes to “good” or “bad” mental health? That’s a good question. And it has a ton of answers and a lot of times it won’t make sense.

Personal and societal factors work to shape our mental health. Things that could contribute to “good” mental health can include knowing how to deal with stress, eating nutritious meals and getting physical activity, having meaningful relationships, proper amounts of sleep and relaxation, feeling like you are contributing to society, engaging in hobbies and interests, a sense of safety and more.

Factors on the larger level can interact with mental health and well-being, as well. Having steady housing, healthcare, and job opportunities that give proper paid time off plays a big part in our well-being. Being able to pursue higher education and living in a community with minimal crime or violence affects well-being. Growing up in a relatively “stable” household with adults who modeled “good” mental health and having opportunities to interact with people in our communities’ effects well-being.

It’s easy to see how personal and societal indicators mix to affect mental health. If I am unable to get steady housing, I am not going to be getting much sleep and I am not making many nutritious meals. If I do not have a job, I probably do not have much money to survive and may not feel like I am contributing to society. If my community or larger society is experiencing a lot of violence, I will not be able to feel a sense of safety. If I grow up in an unstable home, I may not have learned how to deal with stress. So, a lot of stuff is interdependent when talking about the different levels of mental health and we have many systemic problems that affect many peoples’ mental health and will require more than just a therapist. It will require systemic fixes.

Annndddd… to put a cherry on the top of all of this, we have to factor in the effect that COVID-19, and the trauma it brings with it, has had on our lives. Yes, we have a COVID-19 vaccine and the physical dangers of COVID-19 are for the most part being mitigated, but that does not even touch what we have been dealing with mentally. How do we tell ourselves that everything is going to be ok? So, once again, I am going to say it: COVID-19 has been traumatic af and has messed with everyone’s mental health. And if we don’t address it, it’s going to pop up somewhere else in our lives.

We faced a mysterious illness that rapidly spread around the world and we were unable to comfort ourselves and loved ones. Many people’s jobs vanished and landlords threatened eviction. Family and friends may have been diagnosed or passed from COVID-19 and we heard that medical facilities were being overrun and supplies were dwindling. To put it simply, for some of us, our basic needs (food, shelter, safety etc.) were threatened on a constant basis. For over a year. That is incredibly traumatizing. This has not just been a little inconvenience and it is perfectly fine to have a spectrum of emotions to go along with the spectrum of “wtf was that” moments we have had to endure this past year.

And speaking of emotions, we should talk about feeling our feelings and how this can affect our mental health. While some emotions have been labeled “good” or “bad,” I think it is time to rethink some of what we have been told.

No emotion is inherently a “good” or “bad” emotion; all emotions are natural. It is what we do with them that counts. Is it ok that you get mad when a friend cancels plans at the last minute again? Yep. It is ok if you punch that friend in the face the next time you see them? Hard no. Is it ok to feel sad because many milestones and events in your life have been canceled because of COVID-19? Yes. Should you judge yourself harshly and tell yourself you should not feel that way? Again, hard no! And while a lot of us have a shit ton of stuff to be grateful for, it is perfectly fine to brew some -this is some bullshit- tea and take a minute to drink it. Just don’t get in the -this is some bullshit- jacuzzi and let it become a resentment. Let your emotions come through. You don’t have to hide and again I am talking especially to the dudes and the baby boomers!

Something that runs rampant in our society and should be noted is what is called toxic positivity. According to VeryWellMind.com, “Toxic positivity is the belief that no matter how dire or difficult a situation is, people should maintain a positive mindset.” Do not get me wrong, thinking positively is great; I have read the Secret, have a little bit of knowledge of the law of attraction, and Marianne Williamson will forever reign as the Orb Queen. But, if we begin to use toxic positivity as a shield against feeling difficult emotions, we are going to get into trouble. It’s perfectly fine to acknowledge what you are experiencing sucks. And remember, just because we are not saying it out loud does not mean it is not happening. You can recognize toxic positivity in your life when you repeatedly hear any of the following phrases:

“Good vibes only, bro.”

“Happiness is a choice we make every day.”

“Look on the bright side of things, champ!”

“Don’t cry. Things could be a lot worse!”

“Just be grateful for what you have.”

Hustle culture should be mentioned, too. Hard work and dedication are basic American values that have been branded into people’s brains since birth, but… psst… it is not working out for a lot of people. We have turned into a society that values working until you drop dead. Or get chronic stomach ulcers. Or a back injury. Or a heart attack. Or a brain aneurysm.

We need rest.

Now, I am not naïve and I know you are not either. In this world we live in, many people need to work multiple jobs to survive and it is necessary to hustle. I have a lot of thoughts on that, but that is a different blog post. However, I would just like to encourage everyone to take their PTO if it’s available. That means using your sick days, too. Call off. For no other reason besides you need a day to make nachos, have staring contests with your cat, and watch Maury. Also, take your whole lunch and all breaks. They belong to you. Set boundaries at work. Leave the building if you can. As a counselor, my clients know that I love everyone equally, but when my door is closed, I am on break. It is also known to my co-workers that I do not answer the phone when I am on my lunch break. And while I have no experience working from home, people who do live that Zoom lifestyle deserve breaks and to clock out on time, as well.

The main thing that people miss when they have to engage in the hustle culture is rest. And a key part of rest is obviously sleep. When we are sleeping our body repairs itself; our brain rests, energy is (sometimes) restored, and certain body processes get a chance to do their job. Obviously, it’s important to get sleep. But I also think we need other types of rest, too.

We live in a non-stop world where new information, oftentimes painful, comes at us fast from all directions at all times of the day and night. In my quest to be a well-informed world citizen, I can open a news app, click on the “puppy who beats the odds” video, and the next this I know, I am trying to understand the exchange rate for bitcoin because I, of course, need to get my cat the high-grade catnip only available on the dark web. Rabbit-holing it like that can be exhausting. Deep scrolls through Twitter and Facebook or online gaming can also contribute to not getting rest.

Alright, so we have looked at the many, many factors that affect mental health and how it is sometimes a crap shoot. Somethings that may deeply hurt me, may make other people laugh. And some things we just do not have the power to change immediately or on our own (yet). We are multidimensional individuals; we need multidimensional remedies.

And to be clear, none of these things should be considered a cure for mental illness. For example, some mental health professionals recommend diet and exercise to manage difficult emotions. Does this mean that I can Jazzercise away Major Depressive Disorder? Probably not. [I know. I was bummed, too]. On the flip side, though, my mood generally elevates when there are Italian beefs involved in a conversation, but in the long run, Italian beefs do treat mental illness. [Again, I am bummed, but we will make it].

What we are trying to do with these things is build a solid foundation that will be able to support us when we need support. It could also be thought of as a kind of prevention plan to help us when the time comes. Similar to taking a vitamin or supplement, we are building on what we already have. I want to encourage people to take any steps they need towards maintaining or improving mental health. Bit by bit and piece by piece looking after our mental health adds up.

Citations:

Cherry, K. (2021, February 1). Why Toxic Positivity Can Be So Harmful. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-toxic-positivity-5093958#:~:text=Toxic%20positivity%20is%20the%20belief,vibes%20only%22%20approach%20to%20life.

Mental health. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.paho.org/en/topics/mental-health#:~:text=The%20World%20Health%20Organization%20(WHO,to%20his%20or%20her%20community%E2%80%9D.

Originally published at http://sarahlewislcsw.wordpress.com on May 6, 2021.