What Is Mental Health?
Medical providers define mental health as a person’s psychological, emotional and social well-being. Many of us will experience temporary challenges to our mental health that may resolve relatively quickly without a formal diagnosis or treatment. Others may experience long-term or chronic mental health disorders that can be managed through treatment to allow for overall physical, social and emotional well-being.
Mental health therapy is an effective treatment for a variety of behavioral, emotional, and psychological conditions. Depending on the diagnosis, therapy alone or a combination of therapy and medication may be prescribed.
Mental health disorders that can be treated through therapy include:
-anxiety disorders
-bipolar disorder
-depression
-disruptive behavior disorders
-eating disorders
-neurodevelopmental disorders (such as ASD, ADHD, and OCD), PTSD, and schizophrenia.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is commonly used to treat adults with depression, while play therapy can be beneficial to help children express their thoughts and emotions. Therapy can help individuals develop healthy strategies for managing stress, challenges, and anxiety, and the benefits can be tremendous. With therapy, you can learn skills to cope with stress, improve your self-esteem, and manage mental health symptoms that are impacting your quality of life.
