Mental health has been overlooked by society for too long. No, this isn't a political article. Read this as sort of a rant, or an "open letter". Politics aside, people's state of mind is often secondary to physical health. Sure, we can say we want people to be happy, but what have we done? It's time to wake up.
When we, as members of society, ignore mental health, the overall well-being of our lives is hindered. There is a void, and it leaves us with the desire to be desired. We are all unique, interesting people who have something to offer to one another, but when we ignore our own mental and emotional health we stop attempting a lot of things that make us human. Things like smiling, laughing, socializing, eating, all get put on the back burner. When we ignore mental health, a person's field of view is inward, not outward. We can't take any happiness in if we place our focus on inner negatives.
Mental health isn't bound by age or color or creed. It is essential to the human experience. As Edgar Allen Poe puts it in his poem "Alone":
"From childhood's hour I have not been
As others were; I have not seen
As others saw; I could not bring
My passions from a common spring."
Sometimes, when a child's mental health is at risk, we may place stereotypes on the child as being "bad", when in reality they may be showing signs of early depression or anxiety or other mental health conditions. Instead of placing a stigma on these children so early on, it is time to become aware of what the actual problem is.
As adults, people suffering from a mental health condition often have to deal with stigmas. A person who becomes anxious in social situations and prefers to be alone is suddenly a recluse. A person suffering from depression is planted with an "Eeyore" stereotype. Depression could cause an adult to lose interest in a lot of things. Often this results in the person's friends abandoning them, due to the fact that the person may not seem interested in having friends at all.
So it's clear to see that mental health has a huge impact on a person's quality of life. So why do we continue to ignore it and place stigmas and stereotypes on people suffering from such a thing? The answer is unclear. Recently, there have been "Break the Stigma" campaigns attempting to educate the public about mental health awareness, but in reality, it comes down to the individual taking the initiative to educate themselves with a conversation about mental health. Clinics need to be made available, resources should become more prevalent, and education should become a staple in schools.
In conclusion, it is indeed time to wake up, because mental health is serious, and should be treated as such.
