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Health Wellness

No One Is Immune To Mental Illness, No Matter Where A Person May Stand In Life

The number of individuals with a mental health condition is more than the populations of New York and Florida combined.

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No One Is Immune To Mental Illness, No Matter Where A Person May Stand In Life

After the passing of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, it has shown the mass that no one is immune to mental illness. Anyone can be affected no matter where he/she stands in life. Someone may appear to have his life together, but it does not mean that he has no reason to feel down. Mental illness does not choose who to affect nor individuals decide to have a mental illness.

National Institute of Mental Health defines any mental illness (AMI) as "a mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder . . . can vary in impact, ranging from no impairment to mild, moderate, and even severe impairment..." According to Mental Health America, at least 40 million Americans have a mental health condition. To get an idea of how high the number is: if you add the populations of New York and Florida together, the sum is still less than the number of people that are affected. Having a mental health condition can become too much for a person to deal with that it may lead to suicide.

Suicide has become one of the leading causes of death in the United States, ranking at number 10.

9.6 million Americans experience having suicidal thoughts. Stress and depression can contribute to the ideation. As explained by Medical News Today, suicidal thoughts can range from being temporary and treatable to putting a person "at risk for attempting or completing suicide." Instead of constantly posting the suicide hotline number every time someone dies, be mindful that not every person will be comfortable sharing their experiences with a stranger, so people must be educated about mental illness in order for them to understand those who suffer from it and to be able to reach out to them.

The stigma around mental illness is still prevalent today. Though there has been more acceptance and support for those who may be affected by it, not everyone fully understands what it is and what to do. Educating people about mental illness is crucial, but not enough is being done, causing a lot of misconceptions. These misbeliefs include being mentally weak, violent behavior, and having the choice of snapping out of it.

Because of the stigma, individuals have a difficult time dealing with their conditions. It is important for the ones who surround them to give them the support they may need. You can do so in small or big ways. Some days your friend may feel sad for no reason at all and it really happens. You can send him/her a "this reminded me of you" message to let him/her know that you're thinking of him/her. There will be times when your friend does approach you for help in a bigger situation; try your best give him/her the understanding and comfort he/she needs. If your friend has not sought professional help because they are scared, be the one to encourage him/her to do it. Let him/her know that it is completely okay.

Check on your friends. No matter how they seem to be on the outside, no one ever knows what goes on in their personal lives. Look out for each other. Support each other. Take care of each other. Lift each other up. The world is not always going to be nice, so be nice to one another especially during the hard times.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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