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Mental Health

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is all about how we think, feel, and behave in our daily lives. It’s about being able to understand and manage your emotions, handle everyday challenges, work productively, and build good relationships with others. The World Health Organization explains it as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and can contribute to their community.”

Mental health isn’t just the absence of mental illness—it’s something we all have, just like physical health. Taking care of your mental health is important for living a happy and fulfilling life.

What is Mental Illness?

We all have ups and downs—feeling happy, sad, excited, or even scared is part of being human. It’s okay to feel these emotions. However, if feelings like sadness, fear, or anxiety become overwhelming and start affecting your everyday life, it could mean you need support for your mental health.

Let’s break it down with some examples:

  • Feeling anxious before an exam? Totally normal.

  • Feeling anxious all the time so that you can’t relax? This might be a sign of an anxiety disorder.

  • Feeling sad after losing someone you love? That’s normal, and it’s okay to cry.

  • Feeling sad every day and having thoughts of hurting yourself? This could be a sign of depression.

Think about it like this:

  • After running fast, it’s normal to feel out of breath (even top athletes like Joshua Cheptegei feel this way!). But feeling out of breath after just getting dressed? That’s not normal and could mean something’s wrong, like anemia.

  • Eating a big plate of matoke and beans might make you feel full—that’s normal. But if you feel pain or a burning sensation after eating, it might be a stomach ulcer.

  • Feeling dizzy after spinning around is expected, but feeling dizzy just by turning over in bed could mean an ear infection.

Similarly, mental health problems like anxiety and depression are treatable, just like physical illnesses such as anemia or stomach ulcers. If you’re struggling, there’s no shame in reaching out for help. Support is available, and with the right care, things can get better.

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