Beneath the Surface: Uncovering the Hidden Truths of Mental Health

Mental health influences our behaviors, thoughts and feelings. It influences how we deal with stress, interact with others, and make decisions. Some elements may interact to protect or harm mental health. People who are exposed to negative situations such as violence, poverty, disability and so on are more likely to acquire mental health problems. On the positive side, some of these factors may encourage people to use the mental stability they've developed over time when they experience minor challenges later in life.

When one is mentally healthy, the following are expected: subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependency, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others.

Sleep disturbance, lack of energy, loss of appetite, thoughts of harming oneself or others, self-isolation, and frequent zoning out are some of the early symptoms of mental health problems. Other mental health concerns include depression, anxiety, bipolar illness, addiction, and other disorders that influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. 

If a person has a mental health problem, it may alter his mood, which in turn affects how he interacts with other people. People who make conscious attempts to care for their mental health have the potential to enjoy life.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is a "state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community.