It is easier to define sickness than health. When someone says, “I have a toothache,” or “My left knee has a fracture,” we get the meaning. But how do we define health? It has so many aspects! From breathing and eating, to digestion and excretion, the flow of blood, our cholesterol and sugar levels, the condition of our brain, heart, lungs, intestines, kidneys and organs of reproduction. Most of the time, health is something we take for granted, isn’t it?
No one has perfect bodily health. We all have some minor aches and pains, but this does not mean we need hospitalization or major surgery, or are at the point of death.
All this goes for our mental health as well. When there is something wrong, e.g., when someone is often moody, or screaming at people for nothing, or gets panic attacks, we realize that something is wrong. But when we are able to function “normally,” we do not think about mental health, do we?
Four Aspects
To be mentally healthy means:
- That we manage our emotions well: We are normally happy and serene, not unduly angry or moody or swinging from one extreme to the other.
- That we can take correct decisions: The decisions we make in day-to-day matters prove to be correct. Examples: How we plan our work, spend our money, look after those in our care.
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Fr Joe Mannath SDB
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