Guys, I still don't the distinction between stress, anxiety and phobia
and also the distinction between mentally healthy, mental health problems and mental disorder.
Stress vs anxiety vs phobia Stress is physiological and psychological arousal resulting from a stressor perceived to be challenging or exceeding an individual's ability to cope.
Anxiety also involves similar physiological arousal (increased heart rate, dilation of pupils, suppression of digestion). However, unlike when you feel stressed, when you experience anxiety the threat or stressor is not usually immediately present. Instead, you feel worried or uneasy that something bad/unpleasant
might happen. Most people experience stress and anxiety to some degree, and on their own they are not mental disorders (although they can contribute to them).
A phobia, on the other hand, is a mental disorder. It's a type of anxiety disorder (mental disorder involving feelings of extreme anxiety which prevent sufferer from functioning normally) that is characterised by excessive, unreasonable, intense and persistent fear of a particular object or situation, which is usually out of proportion to the danger posed by the object or situation. Stress and anxiety are usually considered rational - phobias are almost always irrational.
Mentally healthy vs mental health problems vs mental disorder Someone who is mentally healthy realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to their community. They tend to have a high level of functioning, social and emotional wellbeing and resilience to stressors.
Mental health problems have a negative effect on the way a person thinks, feels or behaves, but it is to a lesser extent and shorter duration than a mental disorder. Compared to someone who is mentally healthy, they are more likely to have sleep problems, have difficulty coping, find it hard to concentrate or experience temporary impairment.
Someone with a mental disorder usually has an impaired ability to function effectively in everyday life because of certain thoughts/feelings/behaviours.
Hope this helps, let me know if you need anything clarified!