It sounds strange, right? Staying alive seems easy for ordinary people. They fight for schoolwork, interpersonal relationships and many minuscule things, but not for themselves. As for those who have anxiety, depression or other mental health illnesses, it seems to be a battle for themselves. This article will discuss, first, what is mental health and why it is important. Second, the experience of my treatment in a mental health hospital. Last but not least, song suggestions for those who suffer from depression.
So, what is mental health, and why is it important to know about it?
According to data from the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (also known as CDC), mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. To clarify, mental illness is not the same as poor mental health. Most people will think that people with mental illnesses act strange and view them as crazy guys. However, according to CDC data, 50% of people suffer from mental health illnesses during their whole lives, which means that you have half of a chance to experience them in your lives. Hence, it is critical to learn how to deal with them in advance.
My Experience being sent to A mental health hospital in the United States
I am an international student from Taiwan, and I personally suffer from depression and insomnia. I was sent to Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), which is the mental health institute at UC Berkeley, and the doctor diagnosed me with an emergency case. Hence, I was sent in an ambulance to a mental health hospital.
It was a crazy experience, to be honest. You need to wear the ‘uniform’ and your phone will be confiscated for a while until the doctor comes and allows you to use it. There are some boring books and group therapy. Other than that, nothing else. You need to face the loneliness and only one of your friends can visit you for 30 minutes per day. It can be very scary because you don’t know when or what day exactly you can be released from the hospital.
So, I’m back in Taiwan and receiving the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (RTMS) treatment. During the treatment, the machine will keep hitting your forehead in order to activate regions of the brain that have decreased activity in depression. It was estimated to take a few weeks to work, so I took a month’s break from UC Berkeley. The treatment is useful, but it can be pricey, too. So, my observation is that the treatments for mental health illnesses are way more expensive than other kinds of diseases.
Song suggestions for people suffering from depression
Having some good songs to accompany you, especially when you feel lonely or abandoned by the whole world can help. If you have Spotify, I personally recommend a compilation called “depressing songs for depressed people.” The songs in the compilation are soft, but they won’t make you feel more depressed. When hearing the songs at midnight, I feel secure and I often listen to them in order to fall safely and soundly asleep. Another genre of music I recommend is lo-fi. It can also make you feel calm, especially when you hear the live streaming of lo-fi hip-hop radio with the well-known studious girl on the screen.
Please stay safe and take care of your mental well-being.