What Is Mental Health?
It is easier to define mental illnesses than to define mental health
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https://www.verywell.com/what-is-mental-health-2330755
https://treatmennt.blogspot.ae/2014/10/it-has-always-been-easier-to-define_23.html
http://www.ximalaya.com/53847002/sound/29094572
By Leonard Holmes
Updated February 21, 2017
It has always been easier to define mental illnesses than to define mental health. In the United States, the American Psychiatric Association has traditionally been the organization to define mental disorders (beginning as early as 1917 when it was known as The Association of Medical Superintendents of American Institutions of the Insane). More recently, many have recognized that mental health is more than the absence of mental illness.
Even though many of us don't suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, it is clear that some of us are mentally healthier than others. Here are a few ideas that have been put forward as characteristics of mental health.
The Ability to Enjoy Life
The ability to enjoy life is essential to good mental health. James Taylor wrote that "The secret of life is enjoying the passing of time. Any fool can do it. There ain't nothing to it." The practice of mindfulness meditation is one way to cultivate the ability to enjoy the present. We, of course, need to plan for the future at times; and we also need to learn from the past. Too often we make ourselves miserable in the present by worrying about the future. Our life metaphors are important factors that allow us to enjoy life.
Resilience
The ability to bounce back from adversity has been referred to as "resilience." It has been long known that some people handle stress better than others.
Why are some Vietnam combat veterans handicapped for life, while others become United States senators? Why do some adults raised in alcoholic families do well, while others have repeated problems in life? The characteristic of "resilience" is shared by those who cope well with stress.
Balance
Balance in life seems to result in greater mental health. We all need to balance time spent socially with time spent alone, for example.
Those who spend all of their time alone may get labeled as "loners," and they may lose many of their social skills. Extreme social isolation may even result in a split with reality. Those who ignore the need for some solitary times also risk such a split. Balancing these two needs seems to be the key - although we all balance these differently. Other areas where balance seems to be important include the balance between work and play, the balance between sleep and wakefulness, the balance between rest and exercise, and even the balance between time spent indoors and time spent outdoors.
Flexibility
We all know people who hold very rigid opinions. No amount of discussion can change their views. Such people often set themselves up for added stress by the rigid expectations that they hold. Working on making our expectations more flexible can improve our mental health. Emotional flexibility may be just as important as cognitive flexibility. Mental healthy people experience a range of emotions and allow themselves to express these feelings.
Some people shut off certain feelings, finding them to be unacceptable. This emotional rigidity may result in other mental health problems.
Self-actualization
What have we made of the gifts that we have been given? We all know people who have surpassed their potential and others who seem to have squandered their gifts. We first need to recognize our gifts, of course, and the process of recognition is part of the path toward self-actualization. Mentally healthy persons are in the process of actualizing their potential. In order to do this, we must first feel secure.
These are just a few of the concepts that are important in attempting to define mental health. The ability to form healthy relationships with others is also important. Adult and adolescent mental health also include the concepts of self-esteem and healthy sexuality. How we deal with loss and death is also an important element of mental health.
Reference:
Taylor, James, 1977. Secret O' Life Album: JT; Professional experience of 25 years as a practicing clinical psychologist.
mental ['ment(ə)l]
n. 精神病患者
adj. 精神的；脑力的；疯的
Leonard ['lenəd]
n. 伦纳德（男子名）
Holmes [həulmz]
n. 福尔摩斯（英国作家柯南道尔所著侦探小说中的神探）
psychiatric [,saɪkɪ'ætrɪk]
adj. 精神病学的；精神病治疗的
superintendent [suːp(ə)rɪn'tend(ə)nt; sjuː-]
n. 监督人；负责人；主管；指挥者
institution [ɪnstɪ'tjuːʃ(ə)n]
n. 制度；建立；（社会或宗教等）公共机构；习俗
insane [ɪn'seɪn]
adj. 疯狂的；精神病的；极愚蠢的
diagnosable
可诊断
characteristic [kærəktə'rɪstɪk]
n. 特征；特性；特色
adj. 典型的；特有的；表示特性的
essential [ɪ'senʃ(ə)l]
n. 本质；要素；要点；必需品
adj. 基本的；必要的；本质的；精华的
James [dʒeimz]
n. 詹姆斯（姓氏，男子名）；《雅各书》
Taylor ['teɪlə]
n. 泰勒
secret ['siːkrɪt]
n. 秘密；秘诀；机密
adj. 秘密的；机密的
mindfulness ['maindfulnis]
n. 留心，警觉
meditation [medɪ'teɪʃ(ə)n]
n. 冥想；沉思，深思
miserable ['mɪz(ə)rəb(ə)l]
adj. 悲惨的；痛苦的；卑鄙的
metaphor ['metəfə; -fɔː]
n. 暗喻，隐喻；比喻说法
resilience [rɪ'zɪlɪəns]
n. 恢复力；弹力；顺应力
bounce [baʊns]
n. 跳；弹力；活力
vt. 弹跳；使弹起
vi. 弹跳；弹起，反跳；弹回
adversity [əd'vɜːsɪtɪ]
n. 逆境；不幸；灾难；灾祸
Vietnam [ˌvjet'næm]
n. 越南（东南亚国家）
combat ['kɒmbæt; 'kʌm-]
n. 战斗；争论
adj. 战斗的；为…斗争的
vi. 战斗；搏斗
vt. 反对；与…战斗
veterans ['vetərənz]
n. 老兵；退伍军人（veteran的复数形式）
handicapped ['hændɪkæpt]
n. 残疾人；缺陷者
adj. 残废的；有生理缺陷的
senator ['senətə]
n. 参议员；（古罗马的）元老院议员；评议员，理事
alcoholic [ælkə'hɒlɪk]
n. 酒鬼，酗酒者
adj. 酒精的，含酒精的
characteristic [kærəktə'rɪstɪk]
n. 特征；特性；特色
adj. 典型的；特有的；表示特性的
cope [kəʊp]
n. 长袍
vi. 处理；对付；竞争
socially ['səʊʃəlɪ]
adv. 在社会上；在社交方面；善于交际地
extreme [ɪk'striːm; ek-]
n. 极端；末端；最大程度；极端的事物
adj. 极端的；极度的；偏激的；尽头的
isolation [aɪsə'leɪʃ(ə)n]
n. 隔离；孤立；[电] 绝缘；[化学] 离析
split [splɪt]
n. 劈开；裂缝
adj. 劈开的
vt. 分离；使分离；劈开；离开；分解
vi. 离开；被劈开；断绝关系
reality [rɪ'ælɪtɪ]
n. 现实；实际；真实
ignore [ɪg'nɔː]
vt. 驳回诉讼；忽视；不理睬
solitary ['sɒlɪt(ə)rɪ]
n. 独居者；隐士
adj. 孤独的；独居的
wakefulness ['weikfulnis]
n. [生理] 觉醒；不眠
flexibility [,fleksɪ'bɪlɪtɪ]
n. 灵活性；弹性；适应性
rigid ['rɪdʒɪd]
adj. 严格的；僵硬的，死板的；坚硬的；精确的
expectations [ˌekspekˈteɪʃnz]
n. [数] 期望；预期；[数] 期望值expectation的复数形式
flexible ['fleksɪb(ə)l]
adj. 灵活的；柔韧的；易弯曲的
emotional [ɪ'məʊʃ(ə)n(ə)l]
adj. 情绪的；易激动的；感动人的
cognitive ['kɒɡnɪtɪv]
adj. 认知的，认识的
emotions [i'məuʃənz]
n. [心理] 情绪；[心理] 情感（emotion的复数形式）
unacceptable [ʌnək'septəb(ə)l]
adj. 不能接受的；不受欢迎的
rigidity [rɪ'dʒɪdətɪ]
n. [物] 硬度，[力] 刚性；严格，刻板；僵化；坚硬
actualization [,æktʃʊəlaɪ'zeɪʃən]
n. 实现；现实化
surpass [sə'pɑːs]
vt. 超越；胜过，优于；非…所能办到或理解
potential [pəˈtenʃl]
n. 潜能；可能性；[电] 电势
adj. 潜在的；可能的；势的
secure [sɪ'kjʊə; sɪ'kjɔː]
vt. 保护；弄到；招致；缚住
adj. 安全的；无虑的；有把握的；稳当的
vi. 获得安全；船抛锚；停止工作
adolescent [ædə'les(ə)nt]
n. 青少年
adj. 青春期的；未成熟的
esteem [ɪ'stiːm; e-]
n. 尊重；尊敬
vt. 尊敬；认为；考虑；估价
sexuality [sekʃʊ'ælətɪ; ,seksjʊ-]
n. [胚] 性别；性欲；性征；性方面的事情（比如性行为或性能力）
