Question

after a friends sends you a hurtful e-mail you cry all night and then refuse to play with your family on family game night would that be mental or emotional health

Answer 1

Short answer: that’s primarily an emotional reaction — crying and avoiding game night are expressions of how you feel. Emotional health is about how you experience and manage feelings; mental health is the broader category that also includes thinking patterns, behaviors, and overall functioning. So emotions like hurt are part of emotional health, and if they start to affect your daily life for a long time they become a mental-health concern.

A few practical things you can do:
- Give yourself permission to feel — it’s normal to be upset.
- Use a calming strategy (deep breaths, a short walk, journaling, a warm shower).
- Tell your family briefly why you’re not joining (“I’m feeling hurt right now and need a little time; I might join later”). That keeps communication open without forcing yourself.
- When you’re calmer, consider talking with the friend using “I” statements (“I felt hurt by your email; can we talk about what you meant?”) or ask for clarification before assuming intent.
- If you withdraw often, feel stuck, have trouble sleeping/eating, or these feelings last more than a couple weeks, consider talking with a counselor or your doctor.

If you have thoughts of harming yourself or feel you might, get help right away (call emergency services or a crisis hotline — in the U.S. dial 988; if elsewhere, contact local emergency or crisis resources).