Mental health, mental mechanisms and mental reactions to illness

Abstract

We have seen from the last chapter that the brain and the mind are complex structures with many components. The general principle that the more parts there are in a machine the more there is to go wrong applies here. We have seen that each individual is subject to genetic and environment influences and we have seen that a whole variety of mostly minor upsets occur during development, ranging from crying fits, temper tantrums, enuresis, moodiness, delinquency and marital disharmony, to exceptional concern about oneself which occurs in later years. The majority of these upsets are self-contained and help is not sought and not required. In other words these people are mentally healthy. It would seem worthwhile to concentrate on mental health and to see what it means.