10th October is designated by WHO as World Mental Health Day and the theme for 2022 is “Make Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority”.
We asked various groups of people—school students, university students, people from different walks of life—as to what comes to their mind when we say “Mental Health” or what the word “mental health” means to them. All of these people associate mental health with anxiety, depression, stress, panic, etc. But we asked the same people “what does physical health mean?” The answers were: athletic, in good shape, agile, lack of any illness etc.
This is the difference—mental health is associated with mental illness, but mental health is not illness alone; it is mental fitness, well-being, emotional health, resilience, and so much more. What exactly does mental illness and health or fitness mean?
When one talks about mental health, we presume we are talking about all those people going to the psychiatric wards and hospitals, totally crippled with their suffering and not able to function normally, and we are right. But this is not the whole picture. Mental health also includes many children, adolescents, adults, and elderly people who are able to carry on their daily routines, hold a job, and go to school, but are having difficulty coping with the problems of everyday life and, thereby, their quality of life and happiness are affected.
Mental health also includes coping strategies and lifestyle measures that we take for a healthy and happy life. Mental health encompasses both health and illness. It includes those we call mentally ill and all those who are going about their daily life with visibly obvious issues of coping and adjustment. And mental health and well-being concerns all the population, irrespective of age and gender.
It is ironic that we take care of our physical body and, right from our birth, we are taught how to eat, what to eat, how to dress, how to look, how much to weigh, and many other things through socialisation, but all our life, what troubles us are our emotions, thoughts, and consequent behaviour. When it comes to a person’s physical health, people are so conscious and aware these days—they also have access to a lot more things to maintain their health. They know everything about superfoods, the latest diet trends, or workouts, but when it comes to mental health, the awareness just isn’t there. So many people aren’t even aware that they may be suffering from some form of mental health issue. So many people aren’t even aware that happiness is the result of a healthy mind.
We are literate as far as our body is concerned, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually we are illiterate. We have been taught how to manage and beautify our bodies, but no one has taught us how to handle and deal with our thoughts and emotions. Nobody has taught us how to have a beautiful and peaceful mind. Happiness is a by-product of our mental state.
On this World Mental Health Day, let us pledge to take care of our mind, body, and soul and strive for mental health, fitness, and wellbeing. After all, prevention is better than cure. Let us build a mental health literate nation.
Dr Chavi Sharma Bhargava is the founder and CEO of Indic Center for Psychological Wellness and Holistic Health and Conversationists-Talking Cures.