Mental Health

A lot has been written about mental illness and personal dysfunction. On the other hand not many people have chosen to talk or write about good mental health! Freud talked about being able to love and work, and that is a good starting point.

Functional, healthy people aren’t afraid to reach out and produce. They take risks. They make things happen. Are they sometimes anxious? Of course, but their need to be productive outweighs their desire for personal psychological safety. Look at the lives of successful people and often you see that they have been characterized by creative productivity. John Kennedy, Dwight Eisenhower, and Stephen Spielberg are just a few examples of people with long records of accomplishments.

The ability to have good relationships with others is another hallmark of mental health.  Think about people you know. Some are skilled at forming relationships that are nurturing and creative. Others are not. Pope Francis is able to relate to all kinds of people. He genuinely seems to like people and enjoy reaching out to them.

Do healthy people have faults and flaws? Of course they do. Some drink too much, get divorced, and take a while to grow up. Ted Kennedy had a number of problems in his youth that can be traced to “a foster care type of upbringing by parents burnt out on parenting”. However. He overcame early deficits to become an esteemed, productive senator and father figure to a large, extended family.

Bill Bradley, the ex senator from new Jersey, was productive his entire life. He moved seamlessly from The New York Knicks to the United States Senate.  He related as easily with Walt Frazier as with Tip O’Neil. Had he chosen he might have been a candidate for president. He had an excellent relationship with his wife and stepdaughter. He was a good example of a mentally healthy person.