Lesson Two - Biases and Stereotypes of Mental Health
Completion requirements
Key Terms in Mental Health
By now you might be wondering what the difference is between mental health and mental illness. It might seem like they can be used interchangeably, but they actually mean different things.
Mental healthrefers to how well we are mentally. This includes our emotions, thoughts, problem solving abilities, social network, and how we understand the world around us.
A mental illness is something that affects how someone thinks, feels, behaves, or interacts with other people. A mental illness is something that a professional needs to diagnose. It is important to never self-diagnose a mental illness.
Pexels
There are many different mental illnesses, with each having multiple symptoms, which means not every mental illness looks the same with every person. One person might have a certain set of symptoms, while someone else with the same mental illness does
not exhibit those symptoms.
An important detail to remember, however, is that a person can have poor mental health without having a mental illness. People can feel stressed or down, but not have depression; some days are just more difficult than others and mental health really depends on coping strategies in these difficult times.
An important detail to remember, however, is that a person can have poor mental health without having a mental illness. People can feel stressed or down, but not have depression; some days are just more difficult than others and mental health really depends on coping strategies in these difficult times.