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Health And Health Of The World Health Organization Essay

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The definition of health according to the World Health Organization is: “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. It is the goal of health psychologists to identify and understand what determines physical, mental, and social well-being. Rather than focusing on mental illness, it focuses on physical health. The aim of health psychology is to promote and maintain health, prevent and treat illness, identify and diagnose the correlation between health, illness, and dysfunction, and to improve the health care system and the formation of health policies (Graham, 131).
Personal Interest
The field of health psychology interests me because I have personally seen the effects that psychological processes have on a person’s health and well-being. I was a caregiver to a family member with a chronic health issue called Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. I witnessed how stress, negative thinking, and lack of social contact intensified their condition. Their physical health drastically declined when their mental and emotional health was in a negative place. I noticed how their depression compounded their pain, and in return, the pain exacerbated their depression. It was a on-going vicious cycle. On the contrary, when they practiced stress relief methods, focused on the positive things in life, their health improved immensely. Their symptoms improved and they were able to tolerate their constant and chronic pain
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