I often wonder, since the topic of mental health is being brought up more frequently, does that mean that more people suffer from mental health now then they did 50 years ago?
There is no concrete answer to this question, but I believe it to be no. I do not think that mental health is a new stigma, but I think that we are becoming more aware of its presence and learning how to talk about it.
There is no doubt that mental illness does not get the same attention as a physical illness, and this is because people can't see it with their eyes. Not being able to see something makes it harder for outsiders to understand. The key to understanding is empathy. We will never know what it is like to see the world through another persons brain and perspective, but we can do our best to learn and most importantly know that it is treatable.
People who are going through mental illness see it as a weakness and don't feel comfortable talking about their feelings. Although both men and woman suffer from this, our society encourages this idea of hyper-masculinity which makes it even more difficult for men to express their feelings. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men are 3.53x more likely to die from suicide.
Health professionals can improve this problem by talking about mental health more regularly during annual check ups or other doctor appointments. People need to understand that they are not alone and that there are ways to improve what you are going through.
Everybody can help make an impact on this problem simply by checking in on those around them. People often don't want to feel like a burden or bring up their mental illness on their own, but if somebody else begins the conversation, that can lead to that person feeling more comfortable to share how they really feel and what they are going through.
As a society we need to be more empathetic, and more observant. It is important to look out for warning signs such as long lasting depression, withdraw from usual activities, signs of physical harm, change in personality, isolation, etc.
*Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255
There is no concrete answer to this question, but I believe it to be no. I do not think that mental health is a new stigma, but I think that we are becoming more aware of its presence and learning how to talk about it.
There is no doubt that mental illness does not get the same attention as a physical illness, and this is because people can't see it with their eyes. Not being able to see something makes it harder for outsiders to understand. The key to understanding is empathy. We will never know what it is like to see the world through another persons brain and perspective, but we can do our best to learn and most importantly know that it is treatable.
People who are going through mental illness see it as a weakness and don't feel comfortable talking about their feelings. Although both men and woman suffer from this, our society encourages this idea of hyper-masculinity which makes it even more difficult for men to express their feelings. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, men are 3.53x more likely to die from suicide.
Health professionals can improve this problem by talking about mental health more regularly during annual check ups or other doctor appointments. People need to understand that they are not alone and that there are ways to improve what you are going through.
Everybody can help make an impact on this problem simply by checking in on those around them. People often don't want to feel like a burden or bring up their mental illness on their own, but if somebody else begins the conversation, that can lead to that person feeling more comfortable to share how they really feel and what they are going through.
As a society we need to be more empathetic, and more observant. It is important to look out for warning signs such as long lasting depression, withdraw from usual activities, signs of physical harm, change in personality, isolation, etc.
*Suicide Prevention Hotline 1-800-273-8255
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