Why is it that when you’re sick with a cold or a physical ailment you’re coddled and cared for, the people around you drop their busy schedules to accommodate your healing process and need for help, but when you experience a mental illness, “it’s all in your head”? Why is it in our society that individuals with mental illnesses actually feel shameful and afraid to seek help due to what people might think, or even worse due to the lack of availability of resources/ability to pay for those resources? Mind and body are supposed to work together. It’s time we start treating the mind with the respect and love it deserves. Mind does matter. Get rid of ridiculous stigma.
Nearly half of adult Americans will have experienced a mental illness in their lifetimes. Half. That is an immense statistic that should cause more change of heart than it does. Our healthcare system in this country is poorly managed as is, but there is an awful deficit in the mental health sector that prevents a lot of people who could use treatment from accessing the help they need. But for those who are lucky enough to be able to afford care but are afraid to reach out because of what those around them might say, I ask you to please put yourself first.
Some people are afraid of what they do not understand. Some people need to see things to believe them. Because you cannot necessarily see a mental illness in the way you can see a physical injury, some people do not validate your feelings. I understand and empathize the fear that you have. It is time to put yourself first. Stigma can be reduced each day through education about mental disorders. The more we talk about them and spread information, the less people have to be afraid of and the more they will understand and hopefully accept. There is no shame in having a mental disorder. It is no one’s fault. Whether it’s an anxiety disorder or an eating disorder or depression, everyone deserves help.
You are entitled to your own happiness and you deserve to feel like the wholesome and loved person you are for who you are. It’s so important to support those around you who experience mental illness. It’s important to accept them and be patient even when their behavior or anxieties might not make sense to you. Everyone is a work in progress but everyone is human-flawed in some way or another and some of us happen to walk through life with chemical differences in our brains or genetically inherited traits that make us a little bit different.
To do your part in reducing stigma, don’t generalize people with certain disorders. Everyone has a different experience. Ask questions, but don’t be condescending. Be open to talking about things and help educate others about the importance of mental health; Loving yourself and being able to take care of your mind are important pieces in a healthy life. We need to work towards providing healthcare access to all who need it and toward accepting people whether or not you can see their struggle with your eyes.
