Tackling the Stigmas that Keep Us from Getting Help for Our Mental Health
She’s seeing a counselor? Why? What’s wrong with her?
Aren’t psychs for people who are mentally ill?
When I was growing up, that’s what I thought. I didn’t know anyone who was seeing a psychologist or a counselor unless they had serious issues—my friend from school who had anorexia, my cousin who was experiencing panic attacks due to deep loss and grief, my neighbor who washed his hands incessantly.
Counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists . . . don’t you only see them if you are really not doing well—if you are clinically depressed or have a mental health diagnosis? And if you are seeing one, you had better not tell anyone.
What if I lose my job? What if people start looking at me strangely? What if people start gossiping about me and my problems?
Fear of judgment, discrimination, and shame often keep people from seeking help. Many suffer alone and in silence.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that “people will often choose to suffer mental distress without relief, rather than risk the discrimination and ostracization that comes with accessing mental health services.”
Perhaps that is one of the reasons suicide is on the rise around the globe. According to the WHO document, Preventing Suicide—Global Perspective, “Every 40 seconds a person dies by suicide somewhere in the world.”
Mental Health—A Global Crisis
We have a serious problem on our hands. Wherever we live on the globe, we are impacted. For those of us living overseas, the stressors of cross-cultural living may put us at a greater risk—stressors like learning a new language, helping our kids adjust to life abroad, intensified marriage challenges, living far away from family, friends, and other support systems . . .
Mental illness is widespread, costing the world $2.4 trillion in 2010 and expected to reach $16 trillion by 2030. Yet, there’s a stigma attached to it—all aspects of it—prevention, diagnosis, care.
In the video, “Why is it Taboo to Talk About Mental Health?” a number of people who suffer from mental health illness were interviewed. Here’s what some of them had to say:
“You develop this whole, ‘Yeah, I’m fine. Everything’s great,’ because it wasn’t talked about then.”
“Growing up, you don’t really talk about it. There’s a lot of stigma around mental health.”
“If you go to therapy, you’re crazy. There must be something wrong with you . . . you just have to be strong and deal with it on your own.”
“I just didn’t want to be seen as weak.”
“I was upset, crying, and even sad, and you know . . . ‘smile,’ ‘smile.’”
Let’s Talk About It
Around the world, one in four of us will live with a mental health condition at some point in our life. It’s not unusual. It’s not uncommon.
Some common ones that you may or may not have experienced—or perhaps a friend or family member—include anxiety, depression, trauma and stress-related disorders, adjustment disorder in transitions, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders, ADHD, substance-use disorders, sleep disorders, grief, and loss.
We had better get used to hearing about it. We had better get used to talking about it. If we don’t, that suicide statistic might become even more alarming.
The first step is to talk about it, raise awareness, and bring it out of the dark.
The World Health Organization introduced World Mental Health Day in 2013, observed every year on October 10, “with the overall objective of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilizing efforts in support of mental health. This focused day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.”
In the past, the WHO has addressed themes such as mental health for the elderly, dignity in mental health, schizophrenia, suicide prevention, mental health in the workplace, and mental health for young people.
Feature filmmakers have also been trying for decades to talk about mental illness on the big screen. Major motion pictures such as Good Will Hunting, Inside Out, A Beautiful Mind, Patch Adams, and The Notebook, among others, have portrayed the lives of those with mental health needs in an attempt to bring it out of hiding and talk about it openly.
In addition to movies, many actors, musicians, and authors have publicly talked about their mental health challenges, revealing that people who appear successful, talented, wealthy, beautiful, and confident can also struggle with their mental health. They have set an excellent example for the rest of us to openly talk about our own issues. The long list includes Dick Clark, Carrie Fisher, Janet Jackson, Roseanne Barr, Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Michael Phelps, Adele, among many others.
Schools are also addressing mental health more openly than ever. “The U.S. Surgeon General considers ‘schools to be a major setting for the potential recognition of mental disorders in children and adolescents.’” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). Many schools around the world are now providing individual and group counseling, evaluation and assessment, crisis prevention and response such as suicide assessment and child maltreatment, violence prevention and intervention.
Medical providers are also integrating mental health and suicide prevention screening through intake questions during doctors’ appointments and emergency room visits. This is allowing early detection and intervention.
With suicide being the second leading cause of the death among 15-to-29-year-olds, we must bring mental health out into the light before it kills anyone else. Those isolated and suffering can no longer remain stuck in the darkness of taboo, stigma, and shame.
We need to see mental illness for what it is—not avoid it, not hide it. We have to change the way we think about it.
A New Mindset
Maybe we need a new mindset. Let’s start right here. Let’s talk about it—openly and honestly.
Here’s the truth: seeing a counselor doesn’t mean you are losing your mind. Seeing a psychiatrist doesn’t mean you are crazy.
As one of the video interviewees said, “‘Normal’ really is experiencing emotions. ‘Normal’ really is heartbreak. ‘Normal’ really is sadness. All those things exist. All those things, everyone goes through. A lot of people think going through mental illness, going through depression or anxiety, makes you a weak-minded individual. And, that’s not the case at all.”
Mental health—it’s a real part of who we are as people.
Just like we can sometimes fall ill, and our physical health is affected, we can also become sick—mentally and emotionally. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Let’s take the first step to get healthy and get help if we need it. Let’s be there to listen well to friends and family who may be alone and suffering from mental illness. Let’s encourage them and help them to find the support and resources they need.
If you are not able to find a local, in-person mental health professional in your area, virtual counseling and care are possible and effective. If this is the case for you, See Beyond wants to come alongside you on this journey. No one should walk alone. Please contact us today. If you or a loved one is in a crisis situation, call 988 or 1-800-273-8255 in the United States.
Questions for Further Reflection:
How does the stigma of mental health affect you?
Have you or someone you know ever wanted or needed to see a mental health care provider but didn’t? What concerns or fears keep you/them from reaching out?
What is one step you can take today to care for your mental health?
Articles for Further Reading: