Embracing Mental Health

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

There is no single cause for mental illness. Challenges or problems with your mental health can come from psychological, biological, and/or social issues, as well as life events. Biological factors can include chemical imbalances in the brain or experiences related to other ongoing (chronic) medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes. Early adverse life experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse (for example, child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing violence, etc.)​, can also lead to mental health issues.

Everyone can benefit from learning about mental health and how to maintain a positive mental well-being. However, if your thoughts, beliefs, feelings, or behaviors are having a significant impact on your ability to function in what might be considered a normal or ordinary way, you may be suffering from poor mental health.

It can be difficult to find the things that will help you and different things help different people. It's important to be open to a range of approaches and to be committed to finding the right help and to continue to be helpful, even when some things don't work out.

It is often more realistic and helpful to find out what helps with the issues you face. Talking, counseling, medication, friendships, exercise, good sleep and nutrition, and meaningful occupation can all help.

The most important thing is to talk to someone you trust. This might be a friend, colleague, family member, or GP. In addition to talking to someone, it may be useful to find out more information about what you are experiencing. These things may help to get some perspective on what you are experiencing and be the start of getting help.

This may depend on your relationship with them. Gently encouraging someone to seek appropriate support would be helpful to start with.

Some people may advise you on good evidence of what works with the best of intentions, but it's important to find out what works best for you.