If you met someone who was in a wheelchair and unable to open a door for themselves, would you shame them for it? Most likely you answered no. Why? Because you know it’s not their fault. In fact, you would be more likely to try and assist them if you witnessed them struggling.
Much like the person in a wheelchair is not at fault for not being able to do everything for themselves, a person with a mental health ailment or disorder is not at fault for what is causing them difficulty. Mental health should not be a taboo topic. It’s something we all must accept and discuss if we ever hope to actually help people that are struggling with their own mental health problems.
Would you believe that nearly a half a billion people globally suffer from some type of mental illness, and that of those 350 million are struggling with depression?
CNN reported, “According to the World Health Organization, approximately 450 million people worldwide have a mental illness.” They went onto say that about 90% of people who have a mental health problem “face stigma and discrimination” because of it.
Why do we shame those with mental health problems?
In all likelihood, the reason we shame those with mental health problems falls under one of two categories:
– We don’t understand it
– We’re afraid of it
This is why it’s so important we learn more about mental health problems. We need to know what they are in order to recognize them. We also need to know how to help those that suffer from them.
In many cases we might not be able to help the people suffering directly, but knowing more about the symptoms they are exhibiting could help us help them.
By learning and discussing mental health openly without judgment, we may see a way to put them on the path towards what they need to lead more productive and fulfilling lives.
Today, I encourage you to start educating yourself a little more on mental health problems. By learning more about them you’ll be less afraid of them. And, you might even gain some insight into their underlying causes, and/or how you can embrace people that are suffering from them so you can help them out.