A common misconception about mental health is that it solely pertains to identifying and treating mental health disorders. The truth of the matter is that it’s about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to live a full and productive life. Dichotomous thinking about mental illness does a disservice for the treatment of mental illness.

Regular check-ups with your doctors are a good way to make sure you are healthy and stay healthy. Even if you feel good and do not have any health issues or concerns at the time, check-ups can help find health problems early, ensuring they are treated promptly.

I quit smoking cigarettes in 1969, five years after the U.S. Surgeon General’s first report said that smoking causes lung cancer. I was convinced the report was right when it came out, but it took me five years to develop the willpower to give up my Marlboros.