Mental Health

Mental health is present in the details of our day before it is a topic in a clinic: in your patience with the morning traffic on the Mehwar, in the way you answer your son when he comes home with a bad grade, and in your ability to sleep after a long day. On this page we explain what it means, the difference between it and mental illness, the signs that say it needs attention, and what protects it at home, at work and across the stages of life, then we gather our articles on this subject for you.

What is mental health?

The World Health Organization describes it as a state of mental wellbeing that enables a person to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community. Notice that the definition talks about "the ability to cope", not about a life without problems. The mother who cries the night her son travels and then gets up in the morning to prepare the family's breakfast enjoys good mental health, and so does the employee who gets angry at his manager's injustice and then thinks calmly about his next step.

Mental health, then, is a skill and a state at the same time: it is affected by genes and circumstances, but it also improves with habits, relationships and seeking support at the right time.

Your balance is a matter of degrees, not a fixed verdict

It helps to look at yourself on a graded ladder instead of the classification "healthy or ill". Each of us moves on this ladder during the year, according to the pressures and support we experience:

The goal isn't to always stay at the top, which is unrealistic, but to notice when you go down a step and know how to come back. Caring for mental health is like caring for your teeth: small daily habits prevent painful visits later.

The difference between mental health and mental illness

Mental illness is a medical diagnosis with criteria for symptoms, their duration and their severity, such as depression or anxiety disorders. Mental health, however, is a broader concept that concerns everyone. The two can come together in different forms:

If you are looking for the disorders themselves, you will find them in the section Mental illnesses, and if you are wondering about a particular sign, see the guide to mental illness symptoms. The article The difference between psychological and mental illness discusses a common popular division that medicine doesn't adopt.

Signs that your mental health needs attention

This isn't a diagnostic list, but warning signals. One of them appearing for two days is normal, but several signals coming together and persisting for weeks deserves a pause:

• Disturbed sleep, whether insomnia or long sleep that doesn't refresh.
• Indifference toward things that used to make you happy, such as visiting friends or an old hobby.
• Quick temper over small things, or crying that takes you by surprise.
• Repeatedly excusing yourself from gatherings and ignoring calls.
• Increasing escape into cigarettes, the phone or sedatives to ease the feeling.
• A harsh inner voice repeating: "You won't succeed" or "No one needs you".

And if these signals stretch out and deepen, they may be the start of depression, and the article When sadness turns into depression helps you tell the difference.

How do you look after your mental health? Habits that make the difference

Most of what protects mental health is simple, but it needs regularity more than enthusiasm:

More practical details are in the articles Lifting your mood in safe natural ways and Building psychological resilience.

Stress and burnout: when does it go too far?

Stress is part of life, and a reasonable amount of it drives us to achieve. The problem is when it becomes chronic without periods of rest, so the hormone cortisol stays high and sleep, digestion and immunity are affected. The article Psychological stress and its effect on the body explains this mechanism.

Burnout, however, usually appears at work or in caring for a sick family member: emotional exhaustion, coldness toward those you serve, and a feeling that your effort is pointless. It differs from depression in that it is usually linked to a specific context, but neglecting it may pave the way for it. The details are in the article Burnout and ways to recover from it.

Feelings and thoughts: your relationship with what goes on inside you

Much of the decline in mental health starts from the way we interpret events, not from the events themselves. Two identical situations, such as a delayed promotion, may be read by one person as "bad timing" and by another as "proof that I'm a failure". Here simple skills help: noticing the thought before believing it, asking yourself about the evidence, and distinguishing between guilt that drives you to repair and guilt that whips you endlessly.

Start with the article Negative thinking patterns and how to free yourself from them, and if you need structured training, these skills are the core of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Relationships: support or drain?

Research consistently shows that the quality of relationships is one of the strongest psychological protections a person has, and that chronic isolation harms physical and mental health together. But the relationship itself may be a source of drain if it is built on control or constant belittling. And inside the home, spouses affect each other quickly: one's anxiety or depression changes the conversation, closeness and patience. Read The effect of psychological state on the marital relationship and the article Getting out of loneliness and isolation.

Mental health across the stages of life

Each stage has its challenges, and knowing them helps the family tell apart what is normal from what needs intervention:

1. 1ChildhoodSafety first

   A stable home and an encouraging word build the foundation, and bullying at school is one of the things that most destroys a child's self-confidence, so watch for the signs of being bullied.

2. 2AdolescenceThe search for identity

   Mood swings and the desire for independence are expected, and what matters is keeping the door to conversation open. See The normal psychological changes of adolescence.

3. 3MidlifeTaking stock

   Questions about achievement and meaning may turn into a crisis if support is absent and responsibilities pile up.

4. 4Old ageLoss and loneliness

   Retirement and the loss of peers need a social network, and whoever cares for an elderly relative needs support too.

The family and stigma: what stops people from seeking help

In many of our homes, talk about mental health is still met with silence or mockery, so people postpone seeking help until the problem gets worse.

The article Common myths about mental illness corrects other notions, and the article Understanding the behavior of a mentally ill person guides the family to a calm response.

The work environment and your psychological balance

We spend a third of our day or more at work, so it is no wonder it is one of the biggest influences on mental health, negatively and positively. The World Health Organization estimates that depression and anxiety alone cause the loss of about twelve billion working days a year around the world. What exhausts employees most isn't the number of tasks alone, but the absence of appreciation, vagueness about what is required, and working without clear limits until midnight in work chats on WhatsApp.

What helps: reasonable limits on response hours, real holidays, and an honest conversation with the manager about the workload. Whoever succeeds and then feels they don't deserve their success may find themselves in the article Impostor syndrome, and whoever notices the effect of stress on their body will benefit from the steps to lower the hormone cortisol.

When it becomes an emergency

Most declines in mental health are treated calmly and gradually, but some moments need immediate action.

If these thoughts are visiting you yourself, you are not alone, and help is possible now; read How to protect yourself from suicidal thoughts.

The mental health article guide: everyday life topics

We have arranged the articles of this section by what concerns you, so you can quickly reach what suits your situation.

When should you seek help?

Seek a consultation if the disturbance in your sleep, mood or relationships persists for more than two weeks, or your usual habits no longer restore your balance, or you have turned to substances to get through your day. At Riviera Life, licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Health, consultants in psychiatry have been offering confidential assessment for fourteen years, with a program for the family and ongoing follow-up. The first consultation is free and confidential; call us on +201507999722.