We hear about it. Mental health. We share videos on social media and we are satisfied. We see it in films and gawk at the perplexity of its nature. We see it, think about it, and we go about our day. Meanwhile, 1 in 4 people of the population calls mental problems a reality.
What is mental health? Perhaps the balance of the internal and external self in relation to your environment? If such a view were true, and the explanation as simple as one could possibly make it, why are we not looking further into this? Often mental health comes with a stigma. To say one has a condition that categorizes as 'abnormal', in societal or even psychological standards, comes with a full price. There is a tendency to feel ostracized when mentioning anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorder, etc. To expose oneself in such matter results in the possibility of becoming categorized as the "them" of society. Often, mental disorders have come to define the value of an individual as inferior or worthy of seclusion from the rest.
Society isn't the only culprit in the role of mental disorders vs the people. Health insurance, at this point of the century, still lacks to provide the coverage needed to protect its clients, and, ensure they acquire the necessary treatment. The hypocrisy of this is very clear. Health insurance companies have come up with 'standards' as to what is deemed important to cover and what is not. The problem is that while matters like addiction are a matter of debate for coverage, they overlook the genetic and environmental factors behind the problem.
It is important to understand that a person doesn't suddenly wake up one day and decide to develop a pathological condition. Often times, this is the result of traumatic events, genetic disposition, to the consequence of a neurological imbalance. While mental health still remains an area of continuous growth, it is also crucial to examine the implications of a mental disorder in a person's personal and social development. It is necessary to understand that it is not just what you see on someone with psychopathology, but also the internal conflicts within that person.
Why is it important to talk about this? Because sharing posts on Facebook will not relieve the problem. Because when legislation works to bring protections to people with mental health, we confirm with their proposals. Because as a community on a minor and large scale, we need to ensure that people have every tool necessary to improve their lifestyle. Because the statistics of mental disorders in the population include people around me. Instead of pointing fingers at people for not being normal, give them the tools necessary to better themselves. Instead of staring at a homeless man on the street talking to himself, push so that your government spends less on war-related matters and more on its people. It's not lack of money people, it's that some things are prioritized above others.
