The Stigma Around Mental Health Must Stop
In the past couple of years, mental health issues have been getting increased awareness. The fact that mental health is getting more and more acknowledgment is a victory in itself; however, along with this attention, there has been a stigma that comes along with it. The stigma around mental health is more damaging than any awareness towards the subject and has harmed many people throughout history.
Oh, they’re just lazy. They need more discipline. They’re just looking for attention. They’re literally so crazy. These are things people struggling with mental health disorders have heard before due to a huge misconception. It could be as simple as they do not understand the condition or simply don’t care. What people fail to realize is that mental health affects every single aspect of a person's life.
A person struggling with mental illness who is lazy, isn’t actually lazy; they’re just clinically depressed. That person who is looking for attention feels trapped in their mind and might not understand what’s going on or how to help themselves. That person who is crazy isn’t crazy at all. They are just genuinely struggling.
All of the mental illnesses listed, along with so much more, are so ordinary and so common. It’s honestly heartbreaking how they are being dismissed and completely ignored. People with these disorders have various symptoms such as a hard time focusing, loss/gain of appetite, sleep loss, suicidal/self-harming thoughts or actions, loss of motivation, fatigue, acid reflux, and so much more. These symptoms barely scratch the surface of what these people go through. As a person living with some of these symptoms, I can tell you from experience that it is so exhausting to do everyday tasks. You can’t just discipline the depression out of someone or bully the crazy away. It’s these misunderstandings that cause so much harm to people.
Being told that you’re crazy, or lazy, or looking for attention over something you can't control is so completely dehumanizing and is so hard for someone with mental health issues to hear. What these people go through with their mental illness is so unbelievably overwhelming in itself; the stigma around it makes it that much harder to go through. A lot of times, people turn to self-harm or suicide.
This stigma around mental health and illnesses must end because everyone deserves to know that they matter. Everyone’s mental health matters. And everyone deserves to live peacefully in their own minds. So, as the awareness for mental health disorders continues to rise, the stigma needs to stop. The preconceived ideas without any knowledge about these disorders, the assumptions, and any negative outlook on it need to end because it’s doing more harm than good at the end of the day. People should be more understanding and accepting of one's mental health even if they don’t deal with it themselves. It’s simple: be kind.
