Stress is not a mentally illness, but there has been plenty of evidence showing that chronic stress can be a significant risk factor towards developing a mental illness.

The SYMPTOM of anxiety alone is not a mental illness. It is actually a very important survival technique. It serves a very important purpose to help someone respond to danger. Nor do I even think irrational fears are neccessarily mental illness. I've long been a worrier or as having an anxious personality, but I wouldn't say I was mentally ill.....I think it's all in terms of degree. Last year when I was waking up from a dead sleep in the middle of panic attacks, when my legs would freeze with FEAR trying to get ready for work, when I would feel the urge to laugh and punch a wall at the same time due to the physical "high" from the adrenaline surges of anxiety.......yeah I would say I felt mentally ill.

No pharmaceutical company had to tell me that this was not normal or healthy.

In addition, people talk about being "labeled" but for most of the psychological disorders (but not all) one of the diagnostic criteria must be that it causes the individual

"clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning"

So if one has some trouble with coping techniques for their anxiety, but they function well in all of their daily activities and don't feel particularly bothered by the anxiety as may be the case for you, then no, mentally ill doesn't really qualify.

It's actually a very interesting topic, the ideas of wellness versus illness, in both the psychological and physical realm. Someone can have a particular diagnosis but not neccessarily be "unwell" There is such a spectrum I think. I still HAVE the diagnosis of GAD per se....I'm seeing a psychiatrist and taking medication for it. But I would not longer say I feel "Mentally ill"

Certainly an interesting topic.