There are a lot of misconceptions about mental health. The stigma that has been surrounding questions related to mental health has been attenuated over the years. We still have a long way to go until we consider and treat mental health as we do with physical health.
Mental health professionals from a Moorpark, CA based rehabilitation center, The Meadowglade, point out that many people who come to consultation, have been thinking about doing it for a long time. However, they had been prolonging it because, they were afraid to go to the psychologist.
“It is understandable. Perhaps we professionals should talk a little more about the misconceptions about mental health,” says a mental health specialist from The Meadowglade.
Here, The Meadowglade mental health specialists will share some considerations about mental health that are important and everyone should know.
First of all, according to The Meadowglade mental health specialists, mental health is a continuum.
“We do not talk about physical health in broad terms as we do with mental health. We do not say that someone is physically ill, we speak of the illness they have, from an allergy to a terminal illness. But this is not the case with mental health,” says the specialist. “We refer to it as an all or nothing. In other words, if we have an anxiety disorder, we already understand that our mental health is at risk, without realizing that it is not”.
Our mental health changes every day. It is more continuous. On any day you can fell in one way and the other day on completely different way.
Mental health specialists from The Meadowglade claim that in fact, most of the people suffering from an mental health disorder, for example anxiety disorder, or even depression, function perfectly on a day-to-day basis.
Second, anyone can develop a mental illness or mental disorder.
“I say this because there are many people who believe that they are immune to mental problems. They think that they are very intelligent, very educated, they have a lot of money, few problems, to be able to experience depression, anxiety, or any other mental disorder,” says the mental health specialist from The Meadowglade. “But the truth is, anyone can suffer from mental health problems at any age. And although you can control some of the factors that influence your mental health, there are others that you cannot”.
Third, mental toughness is different from mental health. Although some people insist on viewing mental illness or mental disorders as weakness, there is a great difference between them. It is similar to what physical strength and physical illness entail.
Being in good physical shape can help you prevent some diseases, but it doesn't make you immune to all of them. The same is true of our mental health. According to mental health specialists from the rehabilitation oasis, The Meadowglade, developing mental toughness can help you stay healthy and even prevent some mental disorders, but it does not mean that you will never have them.
Lastly, The Meadowglade mental health specialists point out that it is important to note that the best way to address our mental health, in the event that we may be feeling compromised, is to go to a psychology consultation.
The sooner the better. Mental disorders are treatable.
