What is a mental health problem?

What is a mental health problem? You hear the term used a lot in mainstream mental health (I mean the charities and press here). Mental health isn’t the same as physical health, there are of course cross overs, but the experience and the way it’s understood and explored are different.

As an aside this is partly why I find it mental health so fascinating, it’s the perfect combination of art and science.

But if you are experience a difference in your mental health what are the problems? For me there seems to be a little bit of confusion, so I thought I’d clear things up.

Dealing with Depression – difficult, isolating but not a problem.

Dealing with a Psychiatrist – A problem. Mostly they have a science approach to mental health.

Dealing with Anxiety – difficult, exhausting, even a challenge but not a problem.

Dealing with psychologist, a problem – They don’t have an approach, they just like the sound of they own conviction.

Hearing voices, noisy but no need to see them as a problem.

ATOS + DWP = PROBLEM

Dealing with self injury – Not impossible to manage, so not a problem.

Drug companies = Problem

The total lack in a society to talk about and act on the high rates of suicide = Problem.

And so the list goes on.

Yes, us crazy people have a lot of problems, but the biggest one is being told our mental health is a problem, when it clearly isn’t.

Ok. We all got that? Let’s move on.