Mental Strength vs Mental Health: There's a difference?
Short answer – yes.
Long answer – well… Let me explain!
These days people get really confused between promoting mental strength and mental health; even I get confused at times until I really break it down. I was told to think of it as though it were like physical strength vs physical health.
Regarding physical strength, there are those who are naturally just physically stronger than others. For example, they can lift heavier items without feeling strained. In like manner, everybody has different thresholds of how much they can tolerate mentally and emotionally. Whilst in certain circumstances one may feel at ease and ready to battle head on, another may have an emotional breakdown. This doesn’t make any one a better person or less of a person it’s just reality.
However with physical strength, people can go to the gym or workout in some manner, eat right and so forth and build/gain strength. Mental strength – the same can be done. This is why we have things like cognitive behavioural therapy, other forms of therapy and counselling, self help guides etc. for people to change their thinking. There are various methods and ways to handle thoughts and situations and become stronger mentally.
Physical health on the other hand can be attacked regardless of how strong and fit you are. You can catch a cold which is on one side of the scale or you can have a heart attack which is on the other side. No one is immune from these things. There is no magic pill or guide to life that just makes them never happen. Of course the way you live your life can lessen the chances of various illnesses and diseases, but it doesn’t completely eradicate the probability.
The same goes for mental illness. Nobody is immune. Again, the way you live your life and take care of your body can and does have a major role to play but as with physical health it does not rule out the probability as life is so fragile and you never really know what’s around the bend.
On my YouTube channel and my blog I push for mental strength so much because being able to take accountability, being able to deal with emotions wisely, having systems in place to help you can make all the difference when you are struggling both physically and mentally.
The good news is there is someone who can give you the mental strength to overcome everything that you may have to endure, and His name is Jesus. He can guide you and encourage you through the practical steps of life and healing.
Philippians 4:7 says; And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 4:23 says; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind –
I love the way the EASY English Bible version puts it though it says; “Instead, let God’s Spirit make you think in a new way”
Growing up and still to this day, everytime me and my family sat to eat a meal we had to say a ‘memory verse’ (a scripture which we could recall from the top of our heads) before we prayed and ate. One of the verses I used to recite so often and it’s now stuck with me describes what God can do for your mental strength so perfectly:
“But they that wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, they shall walk, and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
Dealing with any type of illness is hard and scary. You feel as if nobody can empathise sometimes, so it gets lonely. You wonder if healing is for you but with God all these feelings and thoughts escape as you learn to become obedient through your trust in Him regardless of your situation, you are a warrior.
Below is a link to an interview I did on Adventist Radio London about mental health, mental strength, my depression & anxiety and how God brought me through it + practical steps I took:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13W8pDXwifWxL8EsHe_f2ChUGOsNLMnYC/view?usp=sharing
If the link above doesn't work message me (via email or social media) and we can work out a way for me to send you the audio.
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