Not all illnesses are viewed as equal in the eyes of most Americans. This ubiquitous issue has gained a great deal of attention in recent media but still remains a work in progress.
Those suffering from life long diseases presenting physical symptoms often receive collective compassion and support while those battling nonvisible symptoms are often seen as crazy or burdens to society. Perception has been molded by ignorance time and time again.
Fortunately we live in a time where we have social media to speed up awareness in our knowledge gaps. One of the most influential methods I've seen is when beloved figures are candid about their struggles. Celebrities have recently started playing their struggles with depression and anxiety. Actress Kristin Bell sums up society's double standards perfectly stating, "if you do decide to go on a prescription to help yourself, understand that the world wants to shame you for that, but in the medical community, you would never deny a diabetic his insulin. Ever." Why is that so hard to grasp? Clearly there are respected and well-liked people living and coping with depression and yet its treatment is not equated to any other practical medical methods.
My theory on the matter is similar to society's issues with the image. As humans we sometimes rely too heavily on a person's visual appearance. It is easier for us to register a serious disease if it is physically apparent. If we can not see it or haven't experienced it we default to disbelief. What's worse is antiquated practices of the past still present in our memories. We have all seen the creepy horror movies depicting mental patients at sanitariums. We don't see them as patients so much as unstable lunatics. So naturally anyone suffering from a mental illness is not perceived as sick but as crazy. I find this incredibly sad given so many individuals are judged and isolated when all they need is proper support. You can't expect someone with a broken leg to run but that doesn't mean they are weak—it just means they need treatment in order to heal.
In my own experience I seem to have hit the lottery of contributing causes leading to my diagnosis. Having a family history of mental illness on both sides, a tumultuous childhood, and a serious brain trauma basically guaranteed my current struggles with depression and anxiety. But I learned early on this was something I had to keep to myself, otherwise, I would be judged, discredited and undermined. As soon as people discover you are on medication you are immediately deemed as incapable of making rational decisions; in other words, crazy. As hard as this has been for me, it is even more painful to see how many others are judged the same way. Sometimes it feels as if no one will truly see the error in these stigmas unless they experience it themselves. When a person is suffering, love and kindness make all the difference in the world while shaming/ guilt only worsen the issue.
Suicide is one of the top 10 leading causes of death in The United States. Depression is very much lethal and deserving of the same attention and educated perception as other serious illnesses. We have come such a long way in our awareness of discrimination based on gender, race and sexual orientation. Let us add mental illness to this list. Let us end sick-shaming.
I urge all young adults to strive towards being the generation of acceptance. There is so much love to be given in the world but true healing can only come if we help lift up those in pain.
