Psychological wellness is not an unattainable dream. A healthy, happy and productive life is a birthright. Our outward wellness is truly a complicated interplay of internal states that affect any person in totality. Who we are, what we think, why we feel and how we behave is merely an outcome of a whole range of processes going on internally. The human brain is a marvelous creation. With 250 billion individual cell units called ‘neurons’, the brain functions as an electric unit that is powered by a number of chemical fuel like substances more commonly known as neurotransmitters. Different neurotransmitters perform diverse functions. There is a happiness chemical that brings joy; likewise there is an attraction chemical that conveys lust. Everything is chemically controlled in this magnificent machine: the brain.

Psychological illness on the other hand is a deficit in wellness. It is distinct from a cough, cold or stomachache. Every human has a psychological defense threshold, which if crossed, makes one vulnerable to worry, stress, anxiety, sadness, anger and irritability. In many cases the negative emotions pass, however in some, they persist to create semi-permanent changes in the brain wiring. This altered wiring truly defines psychological illness. An innate vulnerability due to alteration in neurotransmitters when coupled with external stressors brings about changes in one’s worldview. This altered perception of the world with catastrophic thinking defines mental disorders. Understanding the mind is the first step towards fruitful living. Setting it right when it gets wrongly wired is in our own hands.