Mental health is how we think, feel and act as we cope with life. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others and make choices. Like physical health, mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Everyone feels worried, anxious, sad or stressed sometimes. But with a mental illness, these feelings do not go away and are severe enough to interfere with your daily life. It can make it hard to meet and keep friends, hold a job or enjoy your life.

Mental illnesses are common – they affect about one in five families in the U.S. It is not your fault if you have one. These disorders – depression, phobias, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and many others - are real diseases that you cannot will or wish away. Fortunately, they are often treatable.

It can be very important to get a spread of opinion about the causes of a person's mental problems. It is conceivable for either medical professionals or wise Christians to make mistakes in diagnosis in an area which can be difficult to comprehensively understand. It is sometimes the case that people feel misdiagnosed or misunderstood by medical professionals or Christian helpers. Knowledge and understanding of many mental conditions is not universal. It is therefore often good to get several opinions and also to do some personal research. It can take some significant time to first properly diagnose a condition, and then to find an effective treatment for them.

Those who suffer need Christian support and acceptance. They also need to continue to value their own personal faith in God, as a source of genuine strength, comfort and hope. Mental disorders and spiritual disturbances are some of the most misunderstood problems a Christian - indeed anyone, can face. Sufferers can be misunderstood, considered spiritually deficient, judged and even mocked. Christian rejection is the last thing a person needs when faced with tough mental and emotional challenges. The ongoing development of effective drugs and psychotherapy treatments should also bring help to many suffering mental conditions. Sufferers should find support where they can, and consider carefully who they confide in.