Both in society and in the media, mental health is not given the same attention as physical health. However, mental wellbeing is still incredibly important and needs to be talked about and treated as a priority. It is especially relevant to teenagers and college students, due to the amount of work, pressure, and expectations placed on us. However, stress and mental illnesses can affect anyone: the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports approximately 1 in 5 adults in America have been diagnosed with a mental illness that affects their daily activities, which is about 43 million Americans. However, less than half receive treatment.
I have always been agitated by the lack of education on mental illnesses, so I was very excited when I got a summer job working at the Borderline Personality Disorder Resource Center at New York Presbyterian. During my time there, I assisted in providing people with treatment facility resources. I also learned a lot about different mental illnesses and how they not only affect the individuals, but their families and their daily lives as well. While working there, it was incredibly disheartening to learn that many people with these illnesses do not know where to receive help because of the lack of mental health awareness and education in communities.
Many people with mental illnesses are not prioritized in state government funding. According to USA Today, “States looking to save money have pared away both the community mental health services designed to keep people healthy, as well as the hospital care needed to help them heal after a crisis.” Additionally, government funding for mental health has been has been diverted to other services. If governments put as much effort and funding into mental health care as they do physical health, more people would receive treatment instead of being turned away.
There are also many stigmas surrounding mental illnesses. Research shows that the media often perpetuates stereotypes about people with mental illnesses, which causes society to formulate negative attitudes towards mental illnesses. “The worst stereotypes come out in such depictions: mentally ill individuals as incompetent, dangerous, slovenly, undeserving,” says Stephen Hinshaw, a professor of psychology at the University of California Berkeley (U.S. News).
All of these obstacles can be discouraging to people with mental illnesses and can prevent them from seeking out help. These negative stereotypes need to stop and more attention and support needs to be put into mental health awareness. Mental health should be treated as important as physical health because the mind and body are all connected. Thus, taking care of your mental health can drastically improve your physical health. Also care of your mental health is rewarding and can lead to a longer happier life.
Mental health is important and people should not have to feel ashamed of having mental illnesses. More awareness and education should be devoted to breaking the negative stigmas surrounding mental illnesses. People with mental illnesses should be treated as regular people and be given more sympathy and assistance.
Awareness can motivate people to take the initiative to treat mental health. Of course mental illnesses and stress does not immediately go away but surrounding yourself with people who care about your well- being can improve it. Educating and assisting others will encourage people to admit and accept they might have symptoms of mental illnesses. There are facilities that exist that can help individuals. On the UMass campus there are even facilities, such as The Center for Counseling and Psychological Health, which is open to all students for free.
Talking about your mental state and mental health is the first step to recovery and receiving treatment. Awareness and education will encourage people to realize that it is ok to get help and take precautions needed to prioritize your mental health. With depression and suicide rates increasing at alarming rates, it is time we stop ignoring mental health and focus on providing more resources and assistance to the mental health field.