4.0 Human beings and their mental health

We all experience times when we feel down or anxious. Certain phases in life involve challenging transitions, such as adolescence, retirement, or old age. Most of us have also encountered temporary periods of intense stress triggered by the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, unexpected tragedies, or conflicts. As a result of such times in your own life, you are probably able to relate to many of the conditions we will discuss in this chapter. And yet, you have very likely met some people whose mental health has been more significantly compromised. Perhaps, you have experienced debilitating episodes of depression or paralyzing anxiety yourself. In most cases, it is helpful to consider mental health problems on a continuum from milder everyday concerns on the one end to severe and persistent conditions on the other end.