What constitutes well-being when it comes to mental health?
Is it about using the best coping techniques, having
our defensive mechanisms in control, and being sure that our physical and
emotional baggage is empty?
The Challenge
Mental health is often considered as being on a
binary scale of yes or no- either we are mentally healthy or not
mentally healthy. Sometimes the process of addressing the mental health
concerns disregards subtle nuances & plural roles /identities, thereby
leading to the stigmatization of the concerned person. When people are compelled to
absorb stigmatized identity/ role, it can give rise to feelings of shame,
guilt, agony, and apathy from a community perspective.
Mental Health: Beyond All or None
The essential task ahead is to remind ourselves that
caring for our mental health is a continuous process that will vary over time-based on certain internal and external factors like our mood, certain triggers,
anxiety stemming from it, and a variety of other variables in the moment.
Each and every individual is unique and understanding the mental health
spectrum is critical in order to build an inclusive engaged community. Raising
our collective awareness on evidence-based
scientific knowledge on mental health concerns, destigmatizing conversations
regarding mental health, sensitizing portrayal of mental
health in mainstream media, and building a supportive community
to thrive at workplaces and educational institutions will provide
a future ensuring establishment of a catalytic community with the ingredients
of empathy, kindness, and compassion!
References
https://positivepsychology.com/mental-health-continuum-model/
https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/self/mental-health-beyond-binaries-ladybeard-panel/
