Understanding Mental Health

Good mental health is an important component of healthful living. Good mental health includes "the capacity to live a full and creative life and the flexibility to deal with life's inevitable challenges."

The U. S. Surgeon General has described mental health and mental illness as two end points on a continuum. Mental health affects everything in our daily life, including how we act, learn, work, communicate, relate with others, and feel about ourselves.

Keys to maintaining good mental health include:

• managing stress
• maintaining positive self esteem
• developing coping skills
• reducing social isolation