What is your description of a mentally healthy individual? How do they function in society etc?

Question

What do they do for a living? What was their childhood like? What is their adult home life like? How do they function in a society that values superficial things like physical appearance (young and thing) when they are old or wealth (if they don't have it)? Expand on this to include your opinion of society in general..is society healthy? Know any other cultures who are healthier than others?

Comon people answer this! Why is it when I ask a positively phrased question I get far less answers than when I ask a negatively phrased question? Doesnj't that say somethihng in a of itself. Guess that is why the newsmedia prints all the negative stories.

Answer 1

I don't think there is such thing as a completely mentally "healthy" person. A psychologist called Rosenhan did a famous experiment where he and some colleagues checked themselves into mental hospitals with symptoms of hearing voices say “empty, dull and thud.” From this they were diagnosed with schizophrenia (despite the fact that this isn't a symptom of the disease). After they were admitted they behaved perfectly normally, yet normal, everyday behaivour was considered evidence of their mental "illnesses" (e.g. losing one's temper). In other words, what is considered mentally ill and ergo mentally healthy depends on context, culture and society. Homosexuality is considered a mental illness in some countries. The USSR used to lock dissidents up in mental hospitals, claiming the fact they were dissenting showed that they were sick.

(Of course, mass murder etc can be said to be sympomatic of mental unbalance in ANY culture!)

Answer 2

a mentally healthy individual knows right from wrong and can use reason to solve problems.
They can determine what is below, equal to or above their ability level.
They can also learn to handle stress from different situations and avoid making the same mistakes.


they don't have, avoid, or manage whatever "issues" they may face in life. NO one can avoid the temperamental parent, death, birth or other life issues, but a mentally healthy individual learns how to keep these things from detracting from everyday life.


I also think a mentally healthy individual knows when they are overwhelmed, and can take breaks accordingly.

oh yeah, and a mentally healthy individual doesnt use other people as a crutch for stability.

Answer 3

A person who takes care of their emotional
well being. Just by staying positive.