What is mental health? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2025), “Mental Health is a state of well-being that enables us to cope with the stresses of life, realize our abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to our community”. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Mental health impacts how a person thinks, feels, and acts, and influences the ability to relate to others and make choices. What is mental illness? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (2025), “A mental illness is a condition that affects a person’s thinking, feeling, behavior, or mood”. The number of people with mental illnesses is higher than you might think- one in five adults and one in six youth experience mental illness each year. Some common mental illnesses are depression, anxiety, PTSD, ADHD, Bipolar Disorder, and Schizophrenia. Mental illness deeply impacts a person’s day-to-day living and influences the ability to relate to others and make choices. Managing mental health and mental illness is best done using a combination of self-care, professional treatment, and supportive resources. Self-care includes things like adequate sleep, balanced nutrition and hydration, regular exercise, spending time in nature, limiting screen time, and avoiding the use of alcohol and drugs. Professional treatment includes things like individual therapy, group therapy, and medication management. Supportive resources include social connections, support groups, and local resources. Now that you have some insight into mental health, mental illness, and management strategies, I’m hoping you’ll consider taking a step to improve yours! True North Psychiatry™ specializes in assessing mental illness symptoms, making accurate diagnoses, and creating evidence-based treatment plans, including medications, to manage your symptoms. So…what are you waiting for?! There is no better time than now to take control of your path and begin moving in the direction of who you are at your deepest point …your True North™.