Mental Health Awareness Month
What Is 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. Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:
· Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
· Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
· Family history of mental health problems
If you have, or believe you may have, mental health problem, it can be helpful to talk about these issues with others. It can be scary to reach out for help, but it is often the first step to helping you heal, grow, and recover.
Having a good support system and engaging with trustworthy people are key elements to successfully talking about your own mental health. Find someone—such as a parent, family member, coworker, faith leader, health care provider or other trusted individual, who:
· Gives good advice when you want and ask for it; assists you in taking action that will help
· Likes, respects, and trusts you and who you like, respect, and trust, too
· Allows you the space to change, grow, make decisions, and even make mistakes
· Listens to you and shares with you, both the good and bad times
· Respects your need for confidentiality so you can tell him or her anything
· Lets you freely express your feelings and emotions without judging, teasing, or criticizing
· Works with you to figure out what to do the next time a difficult situation comes up
· Has your best interest in mind
