Dealing with Mental Health

Mental health is a very strange thing. Oxford Dictionaries defines mental health as “a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.” I’ve read that definition at least a dozen times since looking it up, and it still doesn’t make any sense to me. This is such a tricky topic because so many mental health conditions don’t have definitive diagnostic tests like a quick throat swab for strep or an x-ray for a broken bone. Mental health issues rely primarily on what a doctor observes in their patient or what the patient tells the doctor. Then there’s the stigma associated with mental health issues. Even though mental health issues are becoming more widely accepted and talked about, there are still a number of people out there that view people with mental health issues as weak or crazy even though that isn’t true. In addition to these stigmas, many people also have to deal with their own self-image before seeking help. With so much bad stuff happening in the world it is easy for patients to wonder why they should even worry about their problems when other people have it so much worse. In many cases all of these negative views and stereotypes build up inside a patient before they finally hit their low point and seek help. Even though it isn’t easy to hit what you believe to be the lowest point in your life, it is better to realize you’ve hit that point and get help before it becomes too late.