When I was in an abusive relationship my mental wellness was in a very dangerous place. There was so
much stress and emotional upheaval that my mind had a difficult time processing the rate at which events and situations changed. This enhanced other disorders such as binge eating, anxiety attacks, and depression.
Since leaving this situation I’ve worked hard to find and maintain mental wellness and am thankful that I am a much stronger person today. However, that does not mean that there are not still moments when I struggle with PTSD or not being in control.
Even though I was unaware of it at the time all of this was part of my mental well-being.
Mental wellness is classified as “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.” Wikipedia added the following to the definition, “the absence of mental illness.”
According to the Mental Health Organization, “mental health includes “subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence, and self-actualization of one’s intellectual and emotional potential, among others.”
Some of the conditions that are recognized as mental illnesses include:
- Anxiety or Panic Disorders
- Mood Disorders such as depression
- Psychotic disorders such as hallucinations or schizophrenia
- Eating Disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating
- Personality Disorders such as split personality, paranoid personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder
- Impulse Control disorders
- Addiction disorders such as drugs and alcohol, shopping, or relationships
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders
- Obsessive Control Disorders
So why is mental health important? Because as described by the author at Wikipedia, “mental health may include an individual’s ability to enjoy life, and create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.”
Do you have a balance between life’s activities and the efforts to mentally process situations life throws your way?