Mind and Body

When we're physically ill, we visit our GP, but people rarely do the same when it comes to looking after emotional wellbeing.
You're not alone

It's estimated that one in four people will experience a mental health problem in the course of a year. That means that mental health problems can be experienced by virtually anyone.

When you are mentally healthy you feel good about yourself, enjoy relationships, learn confidently and overcome your difficulties. When you aren't, you may feel overwhelmed by misery, anger or fear.
Get help

It's important to do something about a mental health problem because they can get worse if you don't address them or, in more serious cases, don't have them treated by a professional.

Depression, for example, is a problem with serious side effects and in extreme cases, can lead to thoughts of self-harm or even suicide. As a sign of how widespread depression is, suicide is now the biggest killer among young men and claims more lives in England and Wales than car accidents.
Talk things through

There are a whole range of mental health conditions and disorders, which can have different effects on everyone. Here are some other conditions you may have already heard of:
Anxiety Disorder
Manic Depression (also called Bi-Polar Disorder)
Eating Disorders
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Conduct Disorder (which is called Personality Disorder)
Schizophrenia

When it comes to things like stress or anxiety, it's always helpful to talk things through with your family and friends if you can, but if you are worried about your mental health you should visit your GP.

Mental Health Characteristic

Mental Health

Characteristics of good mental health:

Ability to enjoy life – Can you live in the moment and appreciate the “now”? Are you able to learn from the past and plan for the future without dwelling on things you can’t change or predict?

Resilience – Are you able to bounce back from hard times? Can you manage the stress of a serious life event without losing your optimism and a sense of perspective?

Balance – Are you able to juggle the many aspects of your life? Can you recognize when you might be devoting too much time to one aspect, at the expense of others? Are you able to make changes to restore balance when necessary?

Self-actualization – Do you recognize and develop your strengths so that you can reach your full potential?

Flexibility – Do you feel, and express, a range of emotions? When problems arise, can you change your expectations – of life, others, yourself – to solve the problem and feel better?

You can gauge your mental health by thinking about how you coped with a recent difficulty. Did you feel there was no way out of the problem and that life would never be normal again? Were you unable to carry on with work or school? With time, were you able to enjoy your life, family and friendships? Were you able to regain your balance and look forward to the future?

Taking the pulse of mental health brings different results for everyone; it’s unique to the individual. By reflecting on these characteristics, you can recognize your strengths, and identify areas where your level of mental fitness could be improved.