the public health agency of canada has a site on mental health – or mental illness, if you prefer that term. the definition is:
Mental illnesses are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood or behaviour (or some combination thereof) associated with significant distress and impaired functioning over an extended period of time. The symptoms of mental illness vary from mild to severe, depending on the type of mental illness, the individual, the family and the socio-economic environment.
this is an ok definition as it goes but i ask myself right away – if there is an alteration, a change, then what has it changed from? has it changed from ease (as opposed to distress) and skilful (as opposed to impaired) functioning? or maybe just from distress (as opposed to significant distress) and acceptable (as opposed to impaired) functioning?
so let’s say that when one is not mentally ill, then one varies somewhere between ease and distress and between skilful and acceptable functioning.
this is again ok but just not very exciting, is it?
what’s mental wellness, then?
fortunately, the public health agency has something to say about this, too. in fact, it is the UN definition of wellness:
Wellness is not only the absence of illness but also the sense of total physical and mental well-being.
this sounds fabulous! it sounds as great as the definition of non-illness sounds unexciting.
unfortunately, it also sounds pretty unrealistic.
i think that’s partly because of the dualism involved in illness vs. wellness. when you take these definitions, someone with a chronic condition could never have well-being. the diabetic who lies totally content on the deck of a cruise ship during her honeymoon – sorry, no wellness. on the other hand, a physically healthy psychopath with not a care in the world would enjoy all-round well-being.
obviously, there is something wrong with this picture.
i certainly have no easy answer to this. i guess my point is that mental health, mental illness and mental wellbeing are difficult concepts to pin down. in the end, i think every person needs to define these terms for themselves.
isabella mori
counselling in vancouver
www.moritherapy.com
24 responses so far ↓
1 tinetiners // Dec 4, 2007 at 12:15 pm
Hi, I’m really interested in this topic because I’m working on a project involving people who have mental illnesses and who are unfortunately homeless as well. I’m also making a blog for a project relating to homelessness and mental illness at http://www.mentallyillhomelessnessinla.blogspot.com
any feedback would be great! (p.s. its still unfinished with many unrelated things)
thanks
2 Vitallywell // Mar 2, 2008 at 8:27 am
There are so many factors to mental wellness that the source needs to be determined first. Nutrition, brain chemistry, emotional trauma, operating on bad information… As you can see, a multi-faceted approach is often needed. Obviously there is no 1 answer to this issue.
3 isabella mori // Mar 2, 2008 at 9:40 am
hi vitallywell, and thanks for visiting.
more often than not, the source cannot be determined. i think that’s partly because several things play together. e.g. if the environmental conditions are very positive, a person who is genetically predisposed to depression may not experience anything more the occasional “blueness”.
and then of course there are situations when there IS one major contributor and it’s so relieving when one finds it and can deal with it. a client of mine used to deal with horrible episodes of depression until the found out that much of it was hormonally related.
4 Vitallywell // Mar 3, 2008 at 7:44 am
Absolutely – hormones are a huge factor regarding mental states.
I just received this info this morning from WC Douglass newsletter. Rather significant numbers and I would guess that parasites rarely come up as a possible cause for schizophrenia.
“Do you have a cat” may be a valid question question for patients.
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New feline study proves I’m not crazy after all
Dear Friend,
You may wonder why I even care about having one of my controversial views vindicated by new research. Well, one reason is that it proves that I’m not crazy… Back in 2001, I wrote about the dangers of the Toxoplasma gondi parasite that’s found in cat feces, and its potential to cause schizophrenia.
Now, research just published in the American Journal of Psychiatry proves that I’m not off my rocker after all. According to the research, anyone who has been exposed to toxoplasma – which, potentially, might mean anyone who has pet cats – could have a greater chance of developing schizophrenia. Among those studied in the research, those who came in contact with toxoplasma had a 26 percent greater risk. That’s not an insignificant number if you ask me.
While this may be bad news for cat lovers (it gives real credence to the “crazy cat lady” stereotype, doesn’t it?), it’s good news for doctors seeking more information about this terrible and devastating disorder. Each year, there are as many as 2 million reported cases of schizophrenia in the U.S. alone.
This new research could mean that the administration of powerful antiparasitic drugs to battle toxoplasma may actually slow or stop the progression of this wasting mental disorder. The researchers suggested that while schizophrenia is not an automatic result of toxoplasma infection, the infection could trigger the disorder in people who are genetically predisposed to mental disorders.
The tie between toxoplasma infection and schizophrenia has long been suspected, but never proven. “Until now, the only thing we could say is that some people with schizophrenia also had been infected with toxoplasma at some point, but we couldn’t tease out which came first,” said Dr. Robert Yolken, a lead researcher of the study. “With our current study, we were able to show that infection came first.” This is good. Because it’s about time that the medical community approached the topic of mental disorders with some clear-headed thinking.
5 isabella mori // Mar 3, 2008 at 6:48 pm
that’s fascinating information! thanks!
6 Judy Chamberlain // Mar 10, 2008 at 6:47 am
Do you not think that the benefits to mental health of owning a cat outweigh the risks of being affected by toxoplasma gondi. The endorphins released by strokind and being loved by you cat or any other pet must be good for your emotional wellbeing.
7 Vitallywell // Mar 10, 2008 at 7:52 am
Pets are wonderful for stress reduction and relaxation(very important) and not to mention companionship for the elderly and/or recluse individuals. The post is in no way to suggest people not have a cat (or any other pet). The post is simply to bring awareness to the possibilities of parasites and possible mental health implications.
Prior to coming upon this report, I was completely unaware that certain parasites had an effect on mental illness (schizophrenia in this case) and that may be the only parasite/mental illness combination there is.
Aside from the mental health implication is the physical health implications of parasites – pets can be carriers/infected. That is why it is important to have your pets checked out by a veterinarian (a license requirement in my city).
PS – I have a cat.
8 Online Medical Doctor // Jun 30, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Pets are a wonderful for stress reduction and relaxation – I can’t say enough about that.
However, sometimes the unexpected illness or death of a pet can have quite the opposite effect, especially for adolescents.
9 isabella mori // Jun 30, 2008 at 2:42 pm
thanks for the comment, doctor. yes, death and illness of a pet can be disturbing – but that’s just part of life, isn’t it?
isabella mori’s last blog post..frozen pea friday: touched by a tattoo
10 Online Medical Doctor // Jul 10, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Isabella – it is part of life. I’m not sure why I was in such a morbid mood. We had a pet pass a way not too long ago and it was especially hard on our little ones….
on a lighter note, I have been leisurely reading some of the blogs on your blogroll – I must say thank you for turning me on to a few of them… they are all great!
11 isabella mori // Jul 10, 2008 at 1:54 pm
hi doctor … thanks for following up on this!
i’m glad you like the blogs on my blog roll. would be curious to hear which ones stand out particularly!
i’m sorry about the loss of your animal friend. i think i know what you mean – we still talk about the loss of our dog 12 years ago!
you know what’s interesting – when you made your first comment, i replied with some vague philosophical statement; and now that i know the story behind your comment, i feel i can connect much better with you.
goes to show, doesn’t it, that stories, be they as short as they may, can be very powerful.
12 Jenna M // Nov 9, 2008 at 10:50 pm
I think mental wellness has a lot to do with what we eat also. Remember Omega 3?? According to the Scientists at the National Institutes of Health an increase in depression in North America during the last century has been associated with the decline in consumption of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, found in Omega 3) during the same period. Something to think about! I’d recommend checking out Neurovi.com to find out about a great product which has Higer DHA levels than popular brands and is being offered at a discount right now if you enter coupon code “gift of health”.
I’ve used it for a while now and it’s been great.
13 Sebastin // Dec 12, 2008 at 12:23 am
Great job doctor. This was exactly what I was googling for to add into my report for class. Merry Xmas
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14 Acai Capsules // Dec 26, 2008 at 3:31 pm
hey doctor, thanks for adding this. I feel sorry about your pet loss. I have a dog myself and I would feel terrible if he will die.
Merry Xmas!
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15 gari // Feb 16, 2009 at 5:33 am
No sooner do I write Feb and it published. This feels like a Communist plot. (If you’re under forty there’s probably no humor in that line. Maybe you have to be under fifty, come to think of it.)
This is my effort to thank those who link over to me. I always forget someone, no, maybe a few, so if that’s you, please let me know if you want to be added to the list.
Rather than be snarky, we’re using your own words to describe your blogs, for the most part.
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gari
Manic Depression News and Discussion Forum
16 gari // Feb 16, 2009 at 5:37 am
Try Digital Doorway, who hosts Change of Shift, a nursing blog. This is how digital describes himself: A digital venue for creative expression, nursing adventures, reflections on healthcare, thoughtful reverie, thoughtless repose, and other flotsam and jetsam. See, everyone’s a poet.
Midwife with a Knife (sounds so scary) has been in San Diego for a conference. Did you ever stop to think: What if all conferences were in San Diego or Hawaii, maybe?
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gari
Manic Depression News and Discussion Forum
17 Steve Taylor // Mar 5, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Isabella – it is part of life. I’m not sure why I was in such a morbid mood. We had a pet pass a way not too long ago and it was especially hard on our little ones….
Steve Taylor’s last blog post..Feb 3, Cum More, Produce More Sperm
18 Lyka from Air Ambulance Services // Oct 24, 2009 at 5:09 am
Genes + environment = determination of mental wellness
19 Circumcision Sunshine Coast // Mar 1, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Mental health is very important and mental health has a lot to do with self image. Both female and male self-images are very important for self confidence. I am a great supporter of male mental health and work in the community in support of male health.
20 carb blocker // Jul 29, 2010 at 1:05 pm
“Mens sana in corpore sano” as the ancient romans used to say. It means “a healthy body is the home of a healthy mind” and it should make us aware of the fact that we can’t ignore our bodies if we want a healthy mind.
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21 AlexXxuTzZu // Aug 6, 2010 at 9:22 am
“hormones are a huge factor regarding mental states.” wow..i didnt know this..
22 seothrive // Aug 26, 2010 at 3:06 am
Yes,the less or more of hormones affect the mental status.So one has to be very carefull about this.
23 alice // Aug 26, 2010 at 3:08 am
Mental stress harms the thinking power of any person.So better is to avoid stress so that one can think of their own.
24 alyssa // Aug 26, 2010 at 3:36 am
It is better to avoid the mental stress, it really harms the thinking power .Thanks Doctor for doing such a great job.
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