Mental Health vs. Mental Illness: What’s the difference?

I was once asked how I defined mental health and to be honest I wasn’t entirely sure how to best answer the question. Mental health includes our thoughts, emotions and social wellness.  It is part of our whole health and can impact our physical health as well.  Everyone has mental health, and just like we need to work in order to maintain our physical health it is also important to take care of our mental health as well.

Many people use the terms mental health and mental illness interchangeably but while they are two sides of the same coin they are not the same thing.  The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) website defines mental illness as, “conditions that affect a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, or behavior.” They go on to explain that “although the terms are often used interchangeably, poor mental health and mental illness are not the same things. A person can experience poor mental health and not be diagnosed with a mental illness.”

 

Often times because of the stigma associated with mental illness and the way it has been portrayed in the media, people are afraid to talk about their mental health due the fear of being harshly judged or treated differently.  I have been living with a mental illness for a majority of my life and while there are times when I struggle more than I want to admit it doesn’t mean I am a person that needs to be feared.

 

Treatment options have improved over the last twenty-five years, but the reality is there is still a long way to go.  The fear and stigma associated with mental health and mental illness (which again, are related but not the same thing) makes it difficult and often times prevents people from seeking help.  We all need to take care of our mental health, just as we all need to take care of our physical health.  Some, like myself, also have to learn how to manage our lives while living with a mental illness.  It can be challenging at times, especially when I find myself fighting a battle inside of my own that seems to never end, but thankfully I have a strong support system in place.

 

We need to normalize treatment for all mental health, not just mental illness.  Going to a therapist or counselor should be no different than seeing your primary care physician for a regular checkup.  Both can help keep you healthy and early interventions can also help prevent more serious issues from arising.  Seeking help for your mental well-being needs to be encouraged and celebrated.  My hope is there will be a paradigm shift in how we view mental health, that it will be met with compassion and understanding instead of fear and shame.  It's far past time that we find a way to talk about it and that talking openly and honestly instead of in hushed tones and in the shadows.