The Mental Health Paradox: Widespread Awareness, Persistent Stigma
Mental health is a term we hear everywhere, from our textbooks to our social media feeds. It’s a topic talked about so broadly and yet many of us still find it challenging to open up in a conversation about it. This is such a huge paradox.
Awareness is growing, campaigns are held, and we see supportive messaging everywhere, but the stigma persists and misunderstandings continue to silence those who may need support.
The big question is why? Even after such large-scale awareness,why is mental health so often brushed under the rug and ignored?
There are a lot of reasons for this. Cultural attitudes, stereotypes and misleading information are a few potential culprits. A major reason is the fear people have about the potential risks of opening up. What would people think about me? What judgements might I receive if I am a patient? These fears hold people back from seeking help. We need to change our attitude surrounding mental illness so that it is treated and understood just like any other illness.
Many individuals spend their whole life without even realising that they suffer from an illness, that their struggles and frustrations aren’t ‘normal,’ that it’s not their fault but a medical condition that can be treated.
All to often in our go, go, go world, mental health issues are often ignored. People ignore their symptoms and many cultures still label those who are struggling with mental health issues as ‘mad’, ‘crazy,’ or ‘psychotic’ which perpetuates the stigma and heightens the fear for those who may otherwise seek help.
While things like ad campaigns raise visibility, we also need to shift our way of thinking about mental illness. Let’s come forward as a community and work towards educating and promoting mental health awareness alongside physical health. Let us support our peers who struggle with mental issues. Seek help when you need it and encourage others to do the same. You are not alone and it doesn’t have to be this way.
