How to tell whether your Mental Health status is an Illness, a Condition, or a Disorder.

 

    The month of May is a special one in the world as it is recognized as a mental health awareness month. However, not many individuals are aware of the significance of the month as greater percentages of people are unaware of the clear meaning of the actual concept. The lack of understanding is attributed to insufficient sensitization of the topic among people on various facets of the menace. This has significantly led to an increasing number of mysteries related to mental health issues in the world, thus, deeming the need for an active campaign on the issue to deliberate the society. As a mental health enthusiast, I have written the article to help society comprehend the related mental health phrases that include mental health illness, mental health condition, and mental health disorder clearly.

    The topic of mental health is broad and contains three main phrases which are common. This has contributed to growing misunderstandings among survivors, potential survivors, and even some mental health experts. The primary terms commonly used include; mental health illness, mental health condition, and mental health disorder. As a survivor of a mental health condition, I am always engrossed in trying to sensitize society on the concepts to help reduce the ramifications created by thoughtless remarks on fellow survivors. In regard, I engage with various people with or without signs of mental health problems; hence, my writing is purely based on my personal engagements with society.

    The most commonly confused term is mental health illness. The phrase is an encompassing term that refers to various disorders that affect the mind and the brain as a whole, hence distorting the body-mind interactions. Some common and most tragic mental health illnesses are bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit disorder (ADD), etc. The term is commonly used in a mental health facility to refer to an undiagnosed disorder. It is used to refer to an individual who shows signs of distorted mind-body communication and may require a realignment to restore the normal functioning of an individual. Individuals who show signs of mental health illness are always referred to psychiatrists for further counseling before medication. This is always necessary for one to get the right medication that correctly attacks the diagnosed illness.

    Mental health condition forms another confusing term that when used along with mental health illness, people may get entwined between the meanings portrayed. A condition refers to a state in which, when triggers of a particular illness are pulled, an individual may experience the outburst of a particular illness. Therefore, a mental health condition implies a state in which an individual has a dormant/inactive state of a particular illness, that when activated, may turn to an active illness, commonly known as a disorder. A clear example of my case as a victim of bipolar disorder condition is when I pull triggers such as drug indulgence, it ends up in overthinking, irritability, or excitement, which then leads to a full-blown state of the actual disorder if not lessened. Most individuals are always diagnosed with mental illness conditions, which makes it easy to deal with the particular condition. The surest way to do this is by avoiding all triggers and constantly visiting a therapist. Besides, cognitive behavioral therapy is also important in managing a particular condition. In my daily engagements with people, it is evident that contemporary society is highly infested with persons of various conditions of mental health illness, making the activation process paramount.

    The most fatal state is the mental health disorder. The phrase refers to a state in which the triggers of a particular condition are pulled and the brain-body coordination has been fully distorted. It is best explained by the concept of Neuro-Associative Conditioning whereby the commands transmitted by neurons to the brain have been changed fully, which in turn leads to abnormal functioning of the body. In such instances, the victims behave ridiculously without realizing it. When diagnosed with disorders, psychiatrists always prescribe drugs with the help of pharmacologists to help manage the disorder and lower the content of the triggers so that they can become conditions rather than disorders. The phrase is mostly abused as it is commonly used to refer to wrong states, which creates more confusion among both first-degree victims alongside those within their environment. The misunderstanding of the phrases has greatly contributed to the growing effect of stigmatization among people in society, thus increasing the danger of the menace.

    The distinctions that exist among the three phrases discussed form my presentation to society in the commemoration of May 2023 mental health awareness month. As mental health activist, enlightening society on various facets of mental health is my key interest. After successfully battling a bipolar disorder and taking it back to a well-managed bipolar disorder condition, my interest in championing a peer-support system for mental health illness in society grew. Knowing the differences between mental health illness, mental health condition, and mental health disorder is necessary for everyone in society since everybody is a victim of mental health directly or indirectly. One thing is for sure; no health without mental health, stay informed.

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Mental Health and Fitness Enthusiast