Mental health and Mental illness are not the same, though it seems so they both are entirely different concept. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Mental health reflects” our emotional psychological and social well-being “Affecting “how we think, feel and act “, mental health has a strong impact on the way we interact with others, handle problems, and make decisions. And Mental illness refers to “conditions that affect a person’s thinking feeling, mood, or behavior.” These can include but not limited to depression, anxiety bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.

Christopher M. Palmer, MD, director of McLean’s Department of Postgraduate and continuing education, pointed out that mental health and mental illness are similar to the concept of physical health and physical illness. He said the term mental health, implies the absence of illness or disorder. But there are a lot of ways people can be mentally healthy or ill, just like there are many ways people can be mentally healthy or ill, just like there are many ways to be physically healthy or unwell.”

By increasing the understanding of mental health and mental illness can help eliminate stigma and other barriers that keep people from seeking help when they require.

Mental illness affects more people than that we think, it is that we should understand what these two terms mean, the given prevalence of mental illness throughout the world. The WHO points out that around 800,000 individuals die by suicide each year, also about 20% of world’s children and adolescents have a mental disorder and depression affects about two hundred and sixty plus people worldwide.

The thing with all mental health disorders is that none of them define the entire person. Although their symptoms might impair their ability to do things others are able to do, they still have areas of strength and competence. Whenever we talk about health versus illness, it’s always important to remember this.

Being mentally healthy enables you to feel, think and act in ways that help you enjoy life and cope with its challenges. Poor mental health may result in feeling unhappy, difficulty thinking clearly, or feeling overwhelmed by stressful situation. Resiliency (The inner strength that you use to cope with stressful situations) is also a major part of mental health. Building resiliency can help you avoid being overwhelmed by stressful situations. This in turn further builds resiliencies gives you confidence to know you can get through difficult times when they come up again. It’s important to give your mental on going health and attention. There are things you can do to maintain good mental health, and other factors that influence mental health to learn about to help you build your understanding.

While mental health is always there and may be positive or negative, mental illness affects a person’s ability to function over a long period of time. It’s not the same as feeling sad, unhappy, or stressed because of difficult situations. People with mental illness feel distressed regularly and may not feel in control of their lives .