What is mental health?

Continuing with some important definitions - it seems even more important to understand what 'mental health' means too.

Please note, there might be some distressing or upsetting themes in this article.

"We all have mental health."

You might hear that phrase used pretty often - and there's probably good reason behind it.

For many years the phrase "mental health" was almost synonymous (incorrectly) with "mental illness".

People would even say "I'm dealing with some mental health at the moment", as if "mental health" meant poor mental health.

But for me - mental health is a state, i.e. you can have good mental health, and poor mental health.

Just as you can with physical health.

Some of us are more healthy.

Some of us are less healthy.

Some of us have diagnosed (and undiagnosed) conditions or illnesses which might significantly affect our health, or not affect us to any great extent at all.

Many of us might get unwell for a short period of time (like a cold, even like cancer), but rest and treatment might help resolve the issue.

Some of us might be ill for longer, extended periods of time - sometimes we are born with conditions, sometimes they're caused by other things.

And it's the same with mental health.

We all have some level of mental health - some better than others, and it changes over time, affected by things inside and outside of our control.

I like to think of mental health as an answer to how well we're able to cope with the things that life throws at us.

Mental health != “Mental Illness”

Mental health conditions are a subset of mental health as a broader state - generally they might be any number of recognised diagnosable conditions, some more common, like generalised anxiety or depression, others are rarer, like schizophrenia, bipolar or post-traumatic stress disorder.

So, if someone says they're struggling with their mental health - it could mean they're simply not feeling as emotionally able to cope with life, right through to they're dealing with a diagnosed condition.

But equally, there are lots of things which negatively can affect our mental health, which are far from diagnosed conditions - such as work related stress.

Unfortunately, however, things like ongoing and chronic stress can exacerbate underlying conditions, or even lead to more significant conditions.

And in very severe cases, poor mental health can lead to long-term illness and devastatingly even death.

1 in 4 people are affected by mental health problems in any one year - so it's by no means uncommon to know someone who might be facing challenges, or indeed face them yourself.

Indeed, 1 in 3 will face some sort of mental health challenge at some point in their lifetime - cementing the fact that mental health problems are a common human experience.

Despite that, there has long been a stigma surrounding mental health, whether it be unhelpful stereotypes around mental health conditions, or fear of speaking to others when struggling.

Certainly within some groups in society, men in particular for example, talking about mental health concerns has historically been seen as 'weak', and this has led to significant problems at large. In the UK, suicide is the leading cause of death for men under 40 - a sobering reflection of how serious unspoken struggles can be.

There’s also a great deal of conversation around the ‘over-medicalisation’ of mental health issues - sometimes feeling low is just that, part of the human condition, rather than being a diagnosed condition. Whilst at the same time, there are many people who have been living their entire lives without the support they truly require.

Much commentary has been made around people (especially Gen Z) needing to take “mental health days”, where as “boomers” might just complain because they had to “get on, grin and bear it”.

It’s a complex and challenging landscape - which often gets politicised, making things harder for many people to seek help.

Whilst things are improving, and conversations around mental health are far more commonplace today than even 10 years ago, there's still a long way to go.

Mind UK, the UK's leading mental health charity, uses the phrase "mental health problems" to describe the wide range of challenges which might be contributing to an individual mental health. Language changes regularly, accepted terms shift and evolve.

I've spoken to people who have said they don't have poor mental health, but have gone on to explain how they've been struggling to sleep due to being "really stressed out".

Mind UK explains: "Good mental health means being generally able to think, feel and react in the ways that you need and want to live your life. But if you go through a period of poor mental health you might find the ways you're frequently thinking, feeling or reacting become difficult, or even impossible, to cope with."

So in our work, we'll be using the phrase "mental health" to mean how emotionally able you are to think, feel and behave in the ways you want to life your life.

And when we talk about 'poor mental health', we're not specifically talking about people with diagnosed mental health conditions - but it's possible that could be a contributing factor.

It's also important to call out here that I'm not a certified mental health specialist - and much of the work we'll be creating here tackles day to day mental health challenges, rather than conditions which require professional support.

If you feel you're facing something more significant, that's getting in the way of you living your life or perhaps an undiagnosed condition which you feel needs attention - seeking support from a healthcare professional, such as a GP, is essential.

Some things just need professional care - and no amount of blogs or apps will provide the support structure you might need. There's never any shame in asking for support or seeking help.

If at any time, you feel like you, or others around you, might be at risk - don't even hesitate to call 999 or CALM. Mental health emergencies are just as valid as physical health concerns.

And equally - even if your mental health challenges don't seem that scary or deserving of attention - just because others might be having a harder time, that doesn't invalidate or make less important how you feeling.

We all have mental health, and we are all important, and we all matter.

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Some good further reading:

» Why “we all have mental health” might be a double edged sword

» Type of mental health problems

» Why overcoming the stigma matters so much

» Data on male mental health in the UK

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Every week, I’ll ask for your thoughts, comments and suggestions on the post - so we can make this as useful of a resource as possible.