Care For Your Mind: The Importance Of Mental Health Awareness
People are struggling with mental health all over the world – they could be some of your family members, some of your friends, people living next door, and you might not even know this.
Mental illnesses affect about 19% of the adult population according to the latest reports, and 46% of the teenagers and 13% of children are also unfortunately impacted.
Mental health and stigma
On the other hand, the sad thing is that not everyone who is dealing with such sensible issues has the advantage of benefitting from counseling or treatment, and the reasons are varied. People see the subject as tabu, many are wondering “does insurance cover therapy,” or they simply are too ashamed to tell someone that something is wrong.
But it’s important for everyone to understand that left untreated, mental illness can trigger higher medical expenses because the health of the mind is strongly connected to the health of our bodies.
More than that, ignoring mental health issues will also trigger poop performance at work or school, fewer employment opportunities and, the worst of them all, an increased risk of suicide. It’s literally vital to take care of your mental health, especially during the tough times that we live in.
The bright side of the issue is that the general perception of mental illness has been improving over the past decades, and counseling is not seen as something shocking anymore. Studies have shown that the stigma that comes with such a subject is still powerful, but it’s decreasing overall compared to how things used to be.
How can you help?
Attaching negative stigmas to mental health problems can be overcome through education and via eliminating the media stereotypes. Also, healthcare workers must clarify the issue that concerns most people: the question, “is therapy covered by insurance” because once people understand everything related to the subject, they will search for help with a more open heart.
Misinformation and stigma can become a burden to those who are struggling with mental health-related issues, and people can help by showing respect and acceptance and also by learning more about the subject in order to be able to help others in need.
As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.
0 comments