Mental Illness Isn’t A Taboo. About Time We Talk About It!

The author emphasizes on the need to talk about mental illness openly and to stop treating it as a taboo.

Given that mental illness is a rising problem in today’s world, that is slowly spreading it’s tentacles far and wide, I thought of sharing my thoughts on why we all need to consider mental health on our agenda whenever we think of health and fitness as an essential component of our overall well being. Last year I had written a post, where I had shared a few tips on how to stay mentally fit—which focused on the little things we can do, to keep our stresses at bay and work towards enhancing our mental fitness to be able to take on the everyday pressures of life.

Today, I’m talking about mental fitness and how our perception of mental health is increasingly becoming more relevant and important in the world we live in.

Statistics also state another fact— that, of the rising number of people who are suffering globally, only half seek treatment for it. This is primarily due to the lack of awareness and the prevalent stigma and taboo that comes with the label of mental illness, making it difficult for them to talk about it in the open, leaving them to suffer in silence. In fact, nearly nine out of ten people with mental health problems say that stigma and discrimination have had a negative effect on their lives.

Many people believe that people with mental ill health are violent and dangerous, when in fact they are more at risk of being attacked or harming themselves than harming other people. Many with mental health problems are also amongst the least likely of any group with a long-term health condition or disability to find employment, be in a steady relationship, or be included in mainstream society.

The question before us is—Why is there so much bias against mental illness?

Perhaps the answers to all these questions lie in the fact that most people still tend to focus far too much on the word ‘mental’ rather than the ‘health’ part of it, and see mental illness as synonymous with madness, abnormality and even insanity. In the society where we live, perceptions often matter more than common sense and while we don’t shy away from speaking about our physical ailments, we pull back when it comes to disclosing the ailments of the mind.

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So, why is it that while we never hesitate to reach for help when we are physically ill, we tend to hesitate to do so when we/someone we know is mentally ill? Why is it difficult to accept or even acknowledge the fact that we need help? Why do we not make time and effort for our mental well being when we can see the toll stress is taking on us each day of our lives? 

Perhaps what we are doing is not enough. Now that a few celebrities have come forward to talk about their conditions, many find it easy to acknowledge their problems. There is a certain openness with regard to how mental illness is perceived now as compared to a few years back when it was only spoken in hushed whispers.

It is perhaps the right time to now encourage everyone to openly talk about mental illness and seek help for themselves or their loved ones, without embarrassment or fear of being judged. As we all know, seeking timely help makes a tremendous difference.

Image Source: Pexels

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