According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in four American adults and one in five children will suffer from a mental illness of some sort this year.
To put this numerical value into perspective, first consider a family of four -- based on statistical evidence it is highly likely that one member of this family, whether they manifest it externally or not, is struggling with a mental disorder or grappling with the idea that they might be mentally ill. You might be thinking to yourself, no way, I know plenty families of four without mental health issues...right? Now, think of a college lecture hall of 100 students. It is statistically likely that 25 students in that class will experience a mental disorder in that given year. Does that sound even crazier? Consider this: We don't know about so many of these cases because struggling individuals are too afraid to label themselves as mentally ill. The stigmatized nature of mental health and disorders has led mentally unwell people to do whatever it takes to cloak themselves in what is considered societally "normal." Many hesitate to label themselves for fear that they might be considered "crazy" or put into a box. What these people fail to realize, however, is that struggling with mental health by no means define's the sufferer as a crazy person. Hiding behind a facade of normalcy can be incredibly detrimental to the affected individual's mental state - he or she is likely hurting and deserves as much as anyone to be respected, cared for, and heard. This is why I want to open up a discussion about mental health and make it clear to the world that this often taboo topic is nothing to ever be ashamed of.
When it comes to mental health, the most important thing to keep in mind is that although mental disorders manifest themselves internally, unlike a broken leg for example, that they are legitimate medical conditions. It is far too often that I hear someone open up about their depression or anxiety, only to elicit a response of "oh, just snap out of it and stay positive." Although the advice-giver in this situation is likely not trying to be offensive, what they don't realize is that depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can't be fixed with the snap of your fingers. You wouldn't tell someone with a broken leg to just snap out of it, would you? As a society, we have been brought up to have sympathy for these externally manifesting & well-recognized medical conditions, like broken bones, that as we know, require attention, care, rest, etc. More than anything, I want for people to realize that depression, anxiety, OCD, bipolar disorder, and any other recognized mental health disorder you can think of is a medical condition that requires the same care that one might give to a child with a broken bone - love, support, and if it's what the affected person wants; medical attention. Mental illnesses are the silent killers; each year, 42,773 Americans die by suicide. Let's start taking steps to open up the conversation and prevent these tragedies.
The insensitivity and ignorance toward mental health issues in our society breaks my heart, and I am a proud to call myself an ally of the large community of mentally ill Americans. Please take this as a reminder to be gentle, considerate, and supportive towards people always - we're all human. Let's start a movement towards erasing the stigma.
