There are many different emotions that humans experience in their day to day lives that could easily be confused with mental illness. It’s important that you know the difference between emotions and mental illness. The line between these two is very thin, and it’s always important to be aware of our emotions and how they are affecting us.
Many people easily confuse certain emotions with mental illness. The crucial difference between emotions and mental illness is the way they are affecting our lives. Emotions are always going to be apart of our lives, but the way that they affect us can actually be mental illness.
For example, let’s say your grandpa dies. You naturally are going to be sad, want to cry, be angry, etc. Just because you feel these emotions for a week does not mean you are depressed. However, let’s say you got a bad test score back. Naturally, you will be upset, mad, and maybe just a little bit sad too. However, let’s say when you get this bad test score it makes you feel like you are worthless. Then, you start thinking about everything you’re bad at. Then you begin to fall into a pit that feels impossible to get out of. This would not be considered a “normal” reaction to a bad test score, deeming this a possible mental illness such as depression or anxiety.
Some other key differences is how they affect your day to day life. If you are sad once a week, it may not affect your life that much. However, if you are sad six out of seven days in a week, that may start to take a toll on your day to day life. If this is occurring, this could be possible signs of mental illness.
The important thing is that you know the difference, and want to seek help when you think it’s necessary. Being happy and loving yourself is key to good mental health, and when you start to feel horrible about everything, it’s really hard to maintain mental stability.
Always seek out help when necessary, and work towards a better you!
