What is Mental Health?

Happy February! With so much information floating around the internet people often wonder what mental health really is. So today’s blog answers the question, “what is mental health.” That being said, I am a therapist but not yours. Please don’t use this blog as a substitute for mental health treatment. This blog is for informational purposes only. If you are in need of mental health treatment, please reach out to a clinician in your state.

The term “mental health” refers to a person’s biopsychosocial functioning. “Bio” meaning biological, “psycho” meaning psychological, and “social” meaning…well, social. Let me break down how each of these areas relate to your overall mental health.

Biological

DNA and chemicals in your brain impact your mental health. Serotonin levels being off can result in depression, generational trauma can impact an individual’s stress response and tolerance. Some mental health disorders seem to have a genetic component such as anxiety, depression, bipolar, and schizophrenia.

In addition, using substances can impact your brain’s functioning which can result in mental disorders.

This is the part a doctor usually helps with through medication management or holistic practices. 

Psychological

The way that you think, what you’re thinking, and the frequency and intensity of the thoughts can impact your mental health. For example, in anxiety we frequently see thoughts of the worst case scenario on repeat in the mind and the constant fear results in anxiety. 

Similar habits can be seen in depression which is why many people with anxiety disorders are also diagnosed with depressive disorders. If you’re constantly thinking about the worst case scenario, logically you may become sad, have feelings of hopelessness, and experience a decrease in motivation and overall functioning. 

This is the part that I usually help with - showing you how to conquer your thoughts instead of letting your thoughts conquer you.

Social

Humans are social beings. Yes, even introverts; we just prefer our socialization to be minimal and under certain circumstances (like being able to leave immediately when we’ve had enough) 😂

Therefore, our relationships can greatly impact our mental wellbeing and our mental wellbeing can greatly impact our relationships. Think about the person who has an addiction and how that impacts their priorities and their motivations, which in turn impacts their important relationships. Substance abuse can also impact personalities and behaviors, which impacts our relationships, leaving people to say “she’s not how she used to be.” 

Depression can make people want to self-isolate, which negatively impacts their relationships because they are not spending time with the people they care about.

On the opposite end, we can be experiencing stress in the relationship such as welcoming a new family member or a spouse cheating. Both of these events can bring their own forms of stress and can result in mental health challenges.

The postpartum mom who is sleep deprived and doesn’t have a good support system may start experiencing depression and this may impact her relationship with her baby. The couple who has been married for 20 years may be experiencing infidelity. The lack of trust as a result may become self-doubt and anxiety in the non-cheating spouse.

Basically, relationships are important and definitely impact our wellbeing.

To sum it up, mental health is a cocktail of your biological makeup, your psychological habits and your social life and how it all impacts your functioning. 

I hope you found this blog helpful. Feel free to reach out to me with questions or, if  you are in Wisconsin, feel free to reach out for a free consultation.

Peace be with you.

-Carmelita Aufdemberge, LPC