What is Mental Health?

The term mental illness refers to a range of medical/disabling conditions characterized by psychological, behavioral or emotional disorders. These disorders interfere with one's ability to relate to others and to function normally in our daily lives. Symptoms include mood swings and changes in feelings, distress, anxiety and disruptive thinking. Types of mental illness include serious depression, panic disorders, schizophrenia, manic depressive or bipolar illness, severe anxiety, and adjustment disorders. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association, lists more than three hundred different manifestations of mental illness. The underlying cause can be attributed to one or more social, psychological, genetic or biochemical factors.

It is important to recognize that mental illness is a medical/disabling condition that cannot always be overcome by will power. Mental health disorders are no less an illness or disease than, say, diabetes or obesity. Most individuals affected by a mental illness can experience significant relief or recovery through a personalized treatment plan that may include using a combination of medication, best practice therapy approaches, and community resources.