Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Our mental health is just as important as our physical health. Our well-being must be considered as a whole; a good state of mental health, along with a good state of physical health, allows us to function well in our daily lives in a healthy manner.
There is no health without mental health.
What Is Mental Health? Mental health represents a state of well-being. It means that we can easily continue handling our activities socially, behaviorally, mentally and emotionally, cope with the challenges of life and live in harmony with ourselves and society.
In the social sense, an individual in a good state of mental health;
is capable of developing a healthy communication with others, has a social circle consisting of people whom s/he can trust and get support from when needed, makes efforts to establish relationships with others where a sufficient distance could be maintained and s/he can protect himself/herself.
In the behavioral sense;
usually experiences no difficulty completing daily tasks,
does not have much difficulty meeting the daily needs such as sleeping and eating.
does not experience brain fog constantly,
In the mental sense;
does not have difficulty concentrating most of the time,
can plan his/her tasks, break them down into parts and handle them step by step,
does not have much difficulty when making decisions,
is aware of the difficulties s/he might face and makes efforts to overcome them.
In the emotional sense;
makes an effort to sort out his/her feelings and express what s/he feels at that moment,
is aware that s/he might experience negative emotions as well from time to time.
An individual who is in a good state of mental health;
should be able to make time for himself/herself to have fun, relax and engage in social activities.
has the ability to cope with any complications that arise in tough times.
can take a step towards solutions instead of giving up in the face of obstacles.
makes realistic plans for the future, strives to execute them, and can make new plans in cases of failure.
Our mental health is just as important as our physical health.
For example, just as we go to a hospital for treatment after having a heart attack and make an effort to follow the treatment plan devised by the doctor, we can also get help through consulting a mental health professional about this matter when we are not feeling good in the psychological sense. The relevant professionals are psychologists and psychiatrists.
The concept of psychological resilience is one of the most important issues in terms of protecting our mental health. Psychological resilience gives people the psychological strength to cope with stress and difficulties. Dealing with change and loss is an inevitable part of life. At some point, everybody experiences difficulties to varying extents. Some of these difficulties may be relatively minor ones. Psychological resilience can be defined as the ability to overcome difficulties and to fortify the personal strengths when making efforts to that end.
When mental health problems begin to emerge, an individual might;
Begin developing physical health conditions.
Begin experiencing serious disruptions in his/her daily routine. Experience problems in his/her relationships with those in his/her inner social circle.
No longer wish to do something s/he used to enjoy doing. Experience loss of energy and might not feel like doing anything.
Experience brain fog and begin suffering from memory problems.
Develop sleep disorders.
Start to remain physically inactive, refrain from going outdoors. Feel frustrated at everyone.
Even start to think that life has no meaning.
We can all find ourselves in such situations from time to time. It is normal to experience these. However, if experienced quite intensely, such situations get the better of us and cause serious disruptions in our daily lives.
When the disruptions in our lives become persistent and unmanageable, some mental health problems might emerge eventually as well.
If you want to benefit from our mental health services, you can apply to the nearest ASAM office for further information. Interviews are held free of charge and in accordance with the principle of confidentiality.
As ASAM, we would like to convey our thanks to the Kingdom of the Netherlands for their support regarding this activity.
This publication has been produced within the framework of a project carried out with the support of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The sole responsibility for the content of the post rests with ASAM and does not reflect the official views of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
