According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition for the word fear is “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger” and synonyms to the word fear include words like alarm, panic or even terror.
Generally
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the definition for the word fear is “an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger” and synonyms to the word fear include words like alarm, panic or even terror.
Generally, it’s an uncomfortable feeling to experience a sense of fear in our lives, but the phenomenon of fear has also served an evolutionary purpose of helping humans to survive, and even thrive, at the top of the food chain.
Yet the experience of fear continues to exist in the world when there is a pervasive misunderstanding or lack of education when it comes to certain situations that may not warrant this type of response. Mental health concerns are an example of a fear that many people have, usually from a lack of understanding about what this actually means.
Throughout this article we will explore more about the concept of mental health, and how to reduce the stigma that exists in the world today around mental health concerns.
What is Mental Health?
Let’s first explore a definition and some statistics around mental health, so that we can start to expand our understanding of this word and reflect on the experience of mental health as something that impacts every single person in the world regardless of race, colour, ethnicity or gender.
Here is one of the best definitions I have found so far:
“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” (mentalhealth.gov).
In other words, our mental health is connected to many different aspects of our lives, and even though it may be happening within ourselves, it also has the ability to impact on the relationships we have with others, or the choices we make throughout our lives.
Mental health can also be seen on a spectrum and always changing depending on what is happening in our lives, as well as other factors including chemical or hormonal influences.
Consider your own mental health for the moment.. How would you describe how you are feeling right now? You might use words such as curious, relaxed or content.. Or perhaps things are not going so well for you today and you are feeling sad, hopeless or overwhelmed.
These descriptions of your current emotional state are part of what makes up your mental health, and can be different for each person.
Some statics about mental health issues from the World Health Organization (WHO):
- Mental health is one of the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide
- An estimated 300 million people in the world are experiencing depression
- Almost 1 million people each year die due to suicide each year
- More than 40% of countries have no mental health policy
- Many mental health conditions are treatable
Additional reading: The Difference Between Depression Versus Sadness
Who is Impacted by Mental Health Concerns?
Now that we have an understanding that we all experience mental health throughout our lives and that this is a typical human experience, rather than something to fear, let’s now turn our attention to