Mental Health

What is Mental Health? 

Being mentally healthy doesn’t just mean that you don’t have a mental health problem.  

If you’re in good mental health, you can: 

• Make the most of your potential
• Cope with life
• Play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends. 

Some people call mental health ‘emotional health’ or ‘well-being’ and it’s just as important as good physical health. Mental health is everyone’s business.  
 
We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass. But sometimes they develop into a more serious problem and that could happen to any one of us. Everyone is different. You may bounce back from a setback while someone else may feel weighed down by it for a long time. Your mental health doesn’t always stay the same. It can change as circumstances change and as you move through different stages of your life.  
 
There’s a stigma attached to mental health problems. This means that people feel uncomfortable about them and don’t talk about them much. Many people don’t even feel comfortable talking about their feelings. But it’s healthy to know and say how you’re feeling. Mental health problems range from the worries we all experience as part of everyday life to serious long-term conditions. The majority of people who experience mental health problems can get over them or learn to live with them, especially if they get help early on. 
 
Every Mind Matters has produced a free mental health tool that is packed with expert advice and practical tips to achieve good mental health.  The Every Mind Matters Tool includes self-care actions and signposts to free NHS and partner approved Mental Health Resources.  It will create a tailored plan to help you

• Deal with stress
• Boost your mood
• Improve your sleep
• Feel more in control 

Many people who live with a mental health problem or are developing one try to keep their feelings hidden because they are afraid of other people’s reactions. And many people feel troubled without having a diagnosed, or diagnosable, mental health problem - although that doesn’t mean they aren’t struggling to cope with daily life. 
 
Mental health services in England deal with a wide range of issues and have to be able to cater for people from all walks of life and with very different needs. Mental health services in England are generally run in the following categories:

• Adult services
• Child and adolescent services
• Forensic services
• Learning disability services
• Older adult's services
• Substance misuse services