Rethinking Mental Wellness

When we hear the term "mental health," our minds jump to problems or disorders. It is as if the phrase only exists to solve problems, justify actions, or hurl insults. We know the physical health definitions for "being well," but we cannot say the same about mental health. Instead, the focus tends to be on reducing or eliminating symptoms. But if we reduce mental health to fixing what is wrong, we are left without a vocabulary to describe wellness. Imagine if we only talked about wealth by referencing poverty. Would that help us understand financial stability? No, and this one-sided conversation does not help us understand mental health either.

In our society, the term "mental health" is often loaded with negative connotations. It is okay to seek treatment for a cold or high blood pressure. Mental health issues still carry an air of stigma—"There must be a story behind this" or "What's wrong with them?" This stigmatized view limits open and honest discussions about being mentally healthy. We lack a vision for mental wellness because we base our dialogue on what is broken.

The Vocabulary Problem

Let us break this down with an everyday analogy. Imagine if you went to a financial advisor and said, "I don't want to be poor anymore." That advisor would ask, "Okay, but what do you want to be? Wealthy? Do you want to save or invest?" Without clear goals, they cannot guide you in any meaningful direction. Our mental health dialogue focuses on avoiding illness or dysfunction. We still have no clear idea of what we are aiming for. What does mental wellness look like? This gap in our language and thinking has real-world consequences.

In physical health, we have clear metrics for blood pressure or cholesterol levels. It is easy to measure physical health. But when it comes to mental health, we lack concrete benchmarks. We can measure behavior or mood changes. But it is far more complicated to define what a mentally healthy state looks like.

Defining Mental Health: It is More Complicated Than You Think

There are a few ways people try to define mental health, but each comes with its own set of problems. One common approach is to base it on societal norms. Societal norms are fickle and often oppressive. For example, norms once dictated that women should not work. They also normalized the claim that certain races were inferior to others. These norms label people "unhealthy" or "abnormal" for existing outside those boundaries. When society defines mental health, it marginalizes people and loses sight of well-being.

Another approach is to define mental health based on thinking patterns. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on challenging and changing harmful thoughts and behaviors. What about people who have aversive thoughts but never act on them? Are they unhealthy? Using thoughts to define health will label people without understanding the bigger picture.

Then there's behavior. Behavior is easy to observe and measure, which is why it is often the default metric for mental health. It is easier to quantify how often someone acts out or withdraws. But behavior is reactive. By the time we observe problematic behavior, the strain has already taken its toll. It is like trying to fix a car crash after it has already happened rather than taking steps to prevent it. Behavior sidelines prevention in favor of managing symptoms after they are visible.

The Doom Loop of Mental Health

As it stands, our current system is reactive, and this sets us up for a vicious cycle. Jim Collins, in his book How the Mighty Fall, introduced the concept of the "Doom Loop." It is a self-perpetuating cycle that begins with ignoring small problems. Small problems grow into significant ones. By the time they become visible, the situation has worsened. Onlookers only see the large, visible issue and attach a stigma to it. Because of that stigma, people are more likely to hide or ignore the next small problem.

This pattern is common in mental health. People do not seek help until their symptoms have affected their lives. Stigma is the fuel behind this delay. The belief that there is something wrong with getting support. The consequences of this stigma are severe. These delays in seeking treatment worsen outcomes. It is harder for individuals to recover when they finally do seek help (Corrigan, 2004).

Breaking the Cycle: Redefining Mental Health

If we want to break this cycle, we need to redefine mental health. One way to do this is to take a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. We should focus on mental wellness as an ongoing pursuit. Like regular exercise to maintain physical health, we should promote mental wellness. Researchers found that mindfulness practices reduced anxiety and depression (Goldberg et al., 2018). Proactive care can prevent small problems from spiraling into larger ones.

Additionally, we need to broaden our understanding of "healthy." We should accept that mental health is not about perfect thoughts. Neither is it about avoiding negative emotions. Instead, it is about developing resilience—the ability to bounce back from adversity. It is not about avoiding stress or hardship but managing these challenges.

Embrace Mental Wellness, Not the Absence of Illness

Our current cultural narrative about mental health sucks. It is too focused on problems. The approach leaves us without a clear understanding of what wellness looks like. We need to define mental health in positive terms. The dialogue should focus on resilience, prevention, and proactive care. Let us move beyond the "doom loop" and stigma. Let us treat mental wellness like physical fitness. Engage in regular care, clear goals, and an emphasis on resilience.

References

Corrigan, P. W. (2004). How stigma interferes with mental health care. American Psychologist, 59(7), 614–625.

Goldberg, S. B., Tucker, R. P., Greene, P. A., Davidson, R. J., Wampold, B. E., Kearney, D. J., & Simpson, T. L. (2018). Mindfulness-based interventions for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 59, 52-60.

Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227-238.