I cannot believe that “healthy” isn’t simply just living with a tolerable amount of pain, instead of an intolerable amount of pain.
Normal is a range, not a point. Normal people still have anxieties and pains, there’s just a range that is considered normal anxiety, normal blues, everyone gets injured, sick, sad, or anxious some of the time. If you can still live your life most of the time it’s just considered normal and healthy.
I am pretty sure it would be abnormal to be able to feel amazing every day of your life, no matter what was going on.
And nobody wants to answer the phone, that’s a bad measure. But I do wake up feeling physically ok to good most every day, and get enough sleep, exercise, and family emotional and household support to do alright mentally most all the time too. Now at least. It’s not always been that way.
So I guess I’d define healthy as being ABLE to be physically and mentally healthy when the right outward conditions exist. If you have a good relationship, enough time for sleep and exercise and sex, a nutritious and enjoyable diet. Not that you can be healthy no matter what’s going on in your life, that’s a ridiculous standard.
It completely threw me off when the official statistic was 25% for those with any diagnosable mental illness. 75% of people just don’t have a problem with interacting with the world around them.
The key word is “diagnosable” though, isn’t it. What is the normal levels of feeling down, temporary depression, undiagnosed, etc.? That number seems low, especially since there are so many mental illnesses.
The better questions would be, are you personally having a good day? If not, are you on your way to having better days or finding a way to having better days? If that’s not possible, is there a way to make your day as good as it can be?
This means they don’t really process the world around them. They see and live in it, but don’t feel it. It’s a sensitivity/intelligence thing. Must be a lovely life, it’s much easier. Every rose has its thorns.
I’d have to disagree. I’m over 60 and basically healthy. I’m slightly overweight now and take one pill a day to control an enlarged prostate but that’s it.
Now I absolutely process the world. I’m married, I had three children and have suffered the usual share of family dramas / estrangements. I’ve been made redundant, run my own business, struggled to make ends meet, seen my wife suffer health issues (brain tumor, ovarian cyst, knee damage, etc.) and made and lost friends. I’m atheist, socialist and paid both a mortgage and rent. I am currently enraged by the rise of fascism and terrified for my children’s future but I wouldn’t call that mental illness. I still sleep at night, get up in the morning, try to live a good life and make a difference in my community. I’ve never been in therapy and I have had times of deep sadness and times of immense joy.
I doubt very much that I’m unusual.
I’m sorry, but that does not really fit the definition of healthy. I will accept the down votes graciously.
I suppose it may not fit ‘your’ definition of healthy but that is entirely up to you. No downvote needed.
You know how images of averaged faces can be beautiful?
Same with humans. Few adults are heathy in every way. Most humans have 1 or more issues, the issues just average out to a mythical normal person.
Everybody else’s lives are better.
– Everybody
