Mental health has always been a “touchy” topic. People don’t know how to talk about it or approach it, so they don’t. This is precisely the problem. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, 1 in 5 Canadians will personally experience mental illness in their lifetime and slightly under 1 in 4 deaths in the age range 15-24 is caused by suicide. As you can see, mental health affects us all in some form or another.
However, a major problem many people face is the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. We’ve all heard about it, but the problem still persists. Often, people are afraid to admit that there is something wrong for a fear of making the problem real, of allowing it to affect their lives, or simply because of how people might treat them because of it. I personally know how hard it can be to open up when I have a problem because I think I can solve it myself or it’s not a big deal. Sometimes people find it easier to pretend everything is alright than to face the problem at hand.
This is where the talking comes in. We need to talk about mental illness to reduce the stigma surrounding it. We need to let people know that it’s okay not to be okay. Most of the tragic stories we hear, happen because people were too afraid or unable to get help.
One way we’re talking about mental health at McGill is through our second annual Mental Health Awareness Week, running from October 15th – 23rd. There will be workshops, talks and other events, so that you can inform yourself about mental health; it is a great first step in being a part of the solution.
A second step you can take, is to learn how to help a friend. This doesn’t mean you have to take Mental Health First Aid Training, (although the option is available at McGill). It can be as simple as following McGill’s Mental Health Service‘s tips on helping a friend. Here is a summary:
1. Recognize potential warning signs such as “expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness,” “unprovoked anger or general irritability,” or withdrawal and isolating themselves (The key word here is potential – these are not definite indicators).
2. Listen actively and supportively by checking in with them to make sure you understand what they’re feeling and validating their feelings.
3. Referring them to a professional if need be.
If you have a mental illness, know that you are not alone and you can get help. There are many services on campus that offers help, such as the Peer Support Centre where nonjudgmental people will listen to your problems if you need someone to talk to, McGill’s Mental Health Service and McGill’s Counselling Service. Also here are some tips on getting a head start on dealing with anxiety.
Taking that first step may be scary, but we can all help make it a little less scary by starting the conversation and talking about mental health. So let’s talk about it.
Sources:
http://www.cmha.ca/media/fast-facts-about-mental-illness/#.Vhmrc6LoVsM
http://www.mcgill.ca/mentalhealth/learn/how-help-friend
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