"The Essence of Mental
Health"
Ideally, healthy humans should have;
An ability to love and to be loved. Without this asset, human beings, more than all other mammals, fail to thrive.
The power to embrace change and uncertainty without fear and to face fear rationally and in a spirit of practical optimism.
A gift for risk taking, free from worry about the worst possible outcome.
Stores of spontaneous joy for living and a wide range of emotional responses (including negative responses such as anger. These may be important for motivation, as well as being an antidote to pain).
Efficient contact with reality - not too little and not too much.
A rich fantasy world enabling hope and creativity to flourish.
Sufficient self knowledge for repairing one’s self and others following harm.
The strength to say "I am wrong", and to learn from experience.
An adequate feeling of security and status within society.
The ability to satisfy the requirements of the group, combined with a freedom to choose whether to exercise this ability.
Freedom of self expression in whatever way he or she wants.
The ability to risk enchantment and to feel a sense of awe.
The ability to gratify one’s own and others’ bodily desires appropriately.
A sense of humour to compensate if the above are unavailable.
Happiness need not be an ingredient of mental health, indeed the merely happy may be supremely vulnerable. All that is needed is for their happiness to be removed. The above abilities are important as they are what people need should this misfortune befall them. The above points may also be seen as a blue-print for human survival.
(Adapted from the Handbook of Clinical Specialities, Oxford University Press, Fourth Edition. J.A.B. Collier, J.M. Longmore, T.J. Hodgetts.)
Disclaimer
| Copyright Government of South Australia 1998.
