Dory, yes, the fish from Finding Nemo, famously said “Just keep swimming.” But, sometimes when you are consumed by society’s unrealistic motto of “You don’t have to struggle in silence”, you tend to find yourself drowning in your sorrows. That’s the reality of mental health, it only becomes an issue when someone feels like they are underwater, and instead of rising, they decide they will be better off below. What is Mental Health? According to the dictionary, Mental health is defined as your well-being socially, emotionally, and psychologically. Many factors can impact mental health whether it’s genetics, experiences, or family history. But pondering upon this definition, it doesn't capture the true essence of the phrase. Throughout the world, mental health stigma exists and is treated as an underrated issue. People with mental health illnesses or disorders rarely seek help, at most avoiding it or delaying seeking it, because of fear. These people are marginalized and discriminated against in a variety of ways. But, besides society or public stigma, there’s also self and institutional stigma. Self Stigma referring to the shame and negative attitude people have towards their illness. Institutional stigma refers to organizations and the government's limited resources/opportunities for people with mental health. Overall, these stigmas can affect people seeking help which reduces hope, self-esteem, and all relationships in their lives. What we fail to realize is everyone is going through something and everyone has something that they’ve had to overcome, it can differ for everyone. We need to change the outlook and inspire everyone to keep on fighting in the war. If you have made it so far, there is always a reason to keep on going, why quit now?
Pre-Covid-19, you wake up at 6 am, Monday morning and it’s a school day. Sitting on the hard stool, back aching for decades-long hours as the voice of your teacher echoes through one ear and out the other. You stare at the clock, watching the hand move slower and slower and slower -- STOP. On a scale from 1-10, how irritated did that make you feel? Did you feel as you were teleported back to a place you dream you didn’t have to go to? If you said yes, then you’re in good company with the majority of young students. But the question we must be asking is, why do we feel this way? In school, as the bell rings loudly, you watch students finishing up their homework, copying answers, and others looking dead as if there’s a zombie apocalypse. When students are feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious, they deal with what is known as self-diagnosing, the act of detecting if you have a disease or disorder without a certified official. An article from the Journal of Abnormal Psychology showcased that “between 2005 and 2017, the proportion of teens 12-17 who reported the symptoms of a major depressive episode within the last year rose from 8.7 percent to 13.2 percent”. This idea of self-diagnosing is common especially in mental health disorders, but how does our school or guidance counselors address it? Guidance Counselors are staff members who are paid to care about their feelings. The words “one door is open open” or “I’m here to listen” are what you typically imagine. Students, however, tend to use their guidance counselor for school-related activities such as college recommendations or changing schedules. When one starts to feel ‘bleh’ or lose interest in what we enjoyed, that may be a sign of depression. If so, what could one do? Talk to one guidance who has lines of students waiting outside her door, with burning questions-what makes them so important. When given homework assignments and tests all week, these drowning feelings only increase. We do all this work just to be able to…...what, get a job? The reason we work so hard, the reason we stress ourselves staying up until 3 am, is because of the fear of failure. According to psychologist Robert Leahy, the average high school student today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950’s. This anxiety builds up because 58% of children are not getting enough sleep. This leads to concentration problems, risk of depression, impulse control issues, and aggression. The pressure to do well during exams can even lead to suicide. The overbearing amount of homework and extra commitments can be too much for an individual’s mind. This is a direct link to suicide rates and it saddens me that we can’t take account of these statistics and make a change. Similarly, ableism is also created as a stigma especially in school settings. Commonly, these individuals are put in different schools than the rest of society because they are different or “mentally challenged”. Many times they are shamed for taking medicine to help with their mental disorders. When your well-being is in danger, it’s important to seek health, but many fear judgment. People also make snarky comments, making it seem like a negative thing when it was something they ended up being born or acquired. These came from illness and accidents they could not control.
Being a teen from generation Z, we go through relationship stress(family, friends, and other loved ones), political stress and social justice issues stress that all come from one source: Social Media. This is our country and it will be our future, yet many don't live to see it. Suicide rates have been increasing and statistically, generation Z has been the most depressed generation. We cannot let this trend go on much longer. Although there are many positives about social media, we must also recognize the negatives. Social media shows one dimension of an individual's life and is extremely detrimental to one’s mental health. When seeing a picture of a group of friends, an outsider will admire the picture while an individual in the picture will have a plastered smile on their face. Finding yourself scrolling on someone’s feed wishing you were them can lower self-esteem, increase body image issues, and can lead to anxiety or depression. The other side of social media includes cyber-bullying. Many times, hiding behind a screen allows individuals to spread hateful and disrespectful messages without any fear. According to VOA News, they inform us how “Generation Z shows higher rates of depression.” This community gave suicidal ideation, negative emotions, anger, and fear because of issues like cyberbullying. Words can have an impact, so it’s important to think before you speak, but on social media, one click and that’s it. Generation Z has the freedom to choose to be the change because it’s our future and path. If we choose to not take a stand, then we simply are putting ourselves at risk for suicide rates to increase. We can’t constantly mourn the loss of our friends and peers because of the actions we refused to take due to the constant judging. Our identities are not defined by what we have, but the action one takes to make the best of the situation.
Within the world, there are also mental health stigmas within family stereotypes. Many times parents of minorities disregard mental health. The idea that we are being “Dramatic and an Attention Seeker” or “ It's that phone you are always on.” Excuses are made to justify our cry for help. When people want to seek help it’s always “Why do you need therapy?” not, “Let's talk”. Our families more than everything wants us to be successful, to have a stable job, and to marry. Sometimes our families end up writing our lives. Many of us don’t have the chance to explore what we want to do because of these familial expectations. This can cause overbearing stress and pressure on an individual. As well as the idea of arranged marriages especially in the South Asian community, can end up causing emotional pressure and abuse. The idea that one must sacrifice their mental health for a toxic relationship can affect their well-being. Beliefs straining from you have to get married and then fall in love when typically you fall in love and get married affects many young South Asian kids. The disparities in socioeconomic status can be the underlying difference between the racial or ethnic gap in service users can also contribute to mental health stigma. Due to its cost for psychological services, many instead turn to medications. In general, racism is a cause of poor mental health. The trauma of seeing your race get killed can be negative within itself which is called intergenerational trauma. When comparing races, we can see that it all depends on accessibility and income. More ethnic groups have less access to mental health services than do whites. This is because most are low-income who more so disregard mental health as it’s not something that should be consumed by their money or time. Thus, they don't receive the care they need, and if they do, it is not the best. Because minorities don’t see people who represent them, it’s hard for them to open up and get help. The research I have studied showed different things as to which race had the most mental health issues, however, no matter what race, everyone should seek the treatment they need. Even with access to psychological services, it can be hard to open up to someone who looks nothing like you. Everyone would prefer to see a therapist that could relate to them by being their ethnicity. Yet, in general, ethnic minorities are underrepresented in health professions. The lack of connection can play a role in how effective the treatment is.
Society reinforces the belief that men are only supposed to be manly. Men do the grunt work and men are patriarchal beings that are seen as strong. They emphasize that “Men don’t cry and have to be mainly”, but have we ever thought to challenge such beliefs? Throughout history, women were seen as housewives. “Cook, Clean and Take Care Of The Kids.” history said. Yet, doing household chores does not make you less of a man. It makes you more of one. The idea to not let society define what you do shows bravery. Being able to show your feelings, crying, or being emotional does not make you weak. Many times, men don’t have anyone to turn to because this world taught them to wear this mask and be silent. As a result, men are almost two times more likely to binge drink than women. “1-3 Approximately 22% of men report binge drinking and on average do so 5 times a month, consuming 8 drinks per binge” according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Anything that you do not do such as seeking help makes you less of a man, not what you do such as drinking or drug abuse. We need to normalize men needing emotional support. They too are allowed to take time to process, heal, and rebuild because we are all human. If suicide is the biggest killer of men under 50, we need to help contribute to the change, as their feelings matter. The other aspect is the idea of a “feminine man.” Being lgbtq+ makes men look significantly weaker. Having to come out and get support are both two difficult journeys one must face. The idea of being lost and not knowing your identity induces a lack of self-esteem and confidence. Many believe that LGBTQ+ is an illness or disorder, when in fact it’s nothing. Young bisexuals and transgender have the highest mental health concerns because of the lack of acceptance or support from their loved ones which leads them to be sexually and non-sexually harassed. Also, experience violence and hate crimes because of expressing themselves which leads them to fall into depression or commit suicide.
Globally speaking, many countries are also run by anarchies, thus people don’t get a say in what goes on. The political system can affect the values, beliefs, or ways of an individual that must follow it. If the system does not promote equality, political, socioeconomic, environmental, and cultural rights - one may develop distress. Feeling powerless can lead to depression or anxiety. The idea of dictatorship may allow an individual to develop narcissistic behavior and attitudes since they are so successful and important. This makes them have difficulty empathizing with others, which can lead to a dictatorship. The fear of getting killed or assassinated, as a result, can branch from excessive anxiety and paranoia. If a dictator wants more productive citizens, reducing the cognitive impacts of dictatorship and promoting a less tense environment are ways to improve everyday mental health. America is a country of freedom. People have access to therapists and psychologists. In India, many live in poverty and are not educated, so access to healthcare, in general, is rare. Mental health treatment just depends on where you live. India has urban and rural parts, so in rural areas, many didn’t know people don’t know a lot about them, who to talk to, which after time progresses. Even the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors such as family hierarchy, living standards, working conditions, and more. India has one of the highest suicide rates because people don’t feel safe expressing it to their families if they are feeling depressed. As India has been progressing, many can use online resources in America or India, but that once again plays into the role of “Who has access vs. Who doesn’t?” Only about 2% of the funding is put towards mental health in India which is what makes it scarce during times like Covid-19, where entire communities are worried about the outlook.” This interview also shows how mental health resources in other countries are dependent on accessibility and funding. Although we have people available in America, not everyone takes advantage of the resources because some can’t afford them. Yet in other countries, they have no access to resources and funding. Although America and India are different countries, accessibility is an issue for low-income minorities as a whole. The rates and statistics don’t dive into examining these issues and examine each distinct area to account for the differences.
Overall, these stigmas can affect people seeking help which can affect not only their mental state but their physical and emotional state too. Thus, increasing suicide rates have been increasing in recent years. What we fail to realize is everyone is going through something and everyone has something that they’ve had to overcome, it can differ for everyone. We need to change the outlook for this generation and inspire everyone to keep on fighting in the war because they have made it so far and shouldn’t give up. So, how can we get rid of the mental health stigma, for this to become a worldwide issue? Advocate, Advocate, Advocate!! Your voice is stronger than you know! When people feel alone, the best thing for them to do is to find a community that supports them. People deserve to feel that their feelings are valid and that their well-being or identity matters. People deserve to feel love and safety, to help them let out their emotions. People need to give themselves space to truly process what they might need from the day, rather than what the day needs from them. Just because they struggle today doesn’t invalidate the hard work from the past. As a high school student, it’s important to reach out to your community, post resources on social media, or start a club to make a change. Big or small, you can make a difference in someone's life. Don’t wait for it to be too late. The advantage to that is we could start a movement and change the outlook of mental health. People would be able to come together to fight for mental health and we can bridge the stigma gap overall. To advocate, one can start clubs or programs that dive into mental health and raising money for low-income families nationwide. Schools can work together to implement classes such as psychological, neuroscience, self-care, etc… as an elective to help educate students about mental health statics and ways to improve. However, this can be a disadvantage because not many have access to supportive loved ones or services. The movement can progressively become too much of a burden or a force for people to get better. They may feel isolated or singled out, which can create an uncomfortable environment for the individual.
There are various ways to improve your mental health: Pursue something you love, a hobby, or a skill you are good at to make you happy. Talk to your teachers, I know it’s scary but their purpose is to make sure you're okay and to help you. Communicating with family and friends can be easier for some than teachers. Use breathing exercises and meditation if you find yourself in a stressful situation. Keep a journal to record how you are doing; Psychically Mentally, and Emotional. Use a planner to manage your time and take BREAKS when you need it. Realize you are not alone and try to be positive/proud of yourself always. When things get worse, seek out a psychologist or therapist. The advantage of this alternative is understanding the different ways to seek help and improve your mental health that doesn’t cost any money. Therefore, one can go to a store and use technology to find a hobby or email their teachers. Meditation and communication only require the individual so this can be beneficial for low-income students who want to better themselves but lack access to the resources. A planner or journal can simply be partially used or a brand new notebook with blank pages in it or even apps on your phone such as notes/reminders. The little steps one takes can improve their life in the long run. This realization that they don’t have to struggle alone and they can have a starting point is very eye-opening and reviving. On the other hand, the disadvantage to that is if people have done these things for a while, and feel as if they are stuck at this step. The progression rate can be tough and many may want to give up. As a result, people become unmotivated and think that this setback is a failure. The feeling of losing control of oneself can be more detrimental than helpful for some. Lastly, an alternative can be educating society on how to deal with the steps towards recovery and education. The advantage of this alternative is that it’s important to take advantage of what is given to progressively become better when dealing with mental health illnesses and disorders. Although to heal, it depends on you, you never have to do it alone. To do so, first, we must educate ourselves on mental health to distinguish it from a negative issue. Then, we have to familiarize ourselves with people who struggle with mental health to be able to feel comfortable about the topic without being biased or judging by also sharing its many symptoms. Finally, we build a community with the foundation of love, active listening, and support. We must learn to see the person, not the illness. However, the disadvantage of that people may find it difficult to separate mental health stigma from mental health awareness. Instead of saying suicidal people should seek support and help to keep them alive, they may say they are attention seekers that they are using as an excuse so they should just get over it. They may also compare them to people who have physical disabilities, stating that they have it a lot worse so don’t be ungrateful. People in society also tend to use mental disorders as adjectives, which occurs very frequently. Many times we refer to ourselves as bipolar or say we are depressed. But these are serious mental disorders that we have to carefully learn how to differentiate. Mental health matters, today and forever. Therefore, let’s come together to erase the stigma to form a better tomorrow.
Sources:
Cover Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash
Naveed Saleh, MD. “How Mental Health Issues Are Damaged by Mass Media.” Verywell Mind, 2 June 2020, www.verywellmind.com/mental-health-stigmas-in-mass-media-4153888
By: Brooke Lawson | September 20, and Brooke Lawson. “5 Ways Schools Can Reduce the Stigma of Mental Illness.” District Administration, 9 Jan. 2019, https://districtadministration.com/5-ways-schools-can-reduce-the-stigma-of-mental-illness/
Written by Deepika Padukone, Founder. “5 Charts That Reveal How India Sees Mental Health.” World Economic Forum, www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/04/5-charts-that-reveal-how-india-sees-mental-health/
8, Tips for Life August, and Zogg August 27. “The Historical Roots of Racial Disparities in the Mental Health System.” Counseling Today, 12 May 2020, https://ct.counseling.org/2020/05/the-historical-roots-of-racial-disparities-in-the-mental-health-system/
Campbell, Leah. “How Mental Health Stigma Affects Men.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 30 June 2019, www.healthline.com/health-news/how-can-we-reduce-mens-mental-health-stigma
American Psychiatric Association, Stigma and Discrimination, August 2020, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/stigma-and-discrimination
“9 Ways to Fight Mental Health Stigma.” NAMI, www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/october-2017/9-ways-to-fight-mental-health-stigma
“What Is Mental Health?” What Is Mental Health? | MentalHealth.gov, www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health