It is high time we acknowledge as a society that mental health is health. People are literally dying.
Many, many times in my life, I have heard people dismiss mental illness and mental health as issues that only affect weak minded individuals or that it is simply a made up concept, that we can simply move past, if we will ourselves hard enough. Mental illnesses are illnesses that affect the brain---the brain is an organ, and a physical one. Could you imagine if we told ovarian cancer patients to just get over it? That is was just in their ovaries...no big deal right? Of course not.
We are in the midst of a mental health crisis. And while it may be due to lack of quality treatment, it isn't due to lack of treatment.
In fact, according to Time magazine:
"The U.S. has reached peak therapy. Counseling has become fodder for hit books, podcasts, and movies. Professional athletes, celebrities, and politicians routinely go public with their mental health struggles. And everyone is talking—correctly or not—in the language of therapy, peppering conversations with references to gaslighting, toxic people, and boundaries.
All this mainstream awareness is reflected in the data too: by the latest federal estimates, about one in eight U.S. adults now takes an antidepressant and one in five has recently received some kind of mental-health care, an increase of almost 15 million people in treatment since 2002. Even in the recent past—from 2019 to 2022—use of mental-health services jumped by almost 40% among millions of U.S. adults with commercial insurance, according to a recent study in JAMA Health Forum."
Suicide rates are 30% higher than they were just 20 years ago. Three times as many adults in America report struggling with anxiety or depression, just since 2019. On top of that --- 1 out of 25 adults has a serious mental health issue.
So if more people are educated on mental health than ever before, and if more people are in therapy than ever before, what can we conclude is at the root of America's mental health crisis?
While more people than ever are becoming aware of the importance of mental health, and more people than ever are taking steps to improve their mental health----in just the last five years, our nation has faced a worldwide pandemic, recession, inflation, war, low pay, a lack of high paying jobs, a rise in crime, a rise in substance abuse issues, and many many other adverse conditions that are shaping our society in a dark way.
I would imagine if most people are struggling to purchase essentials like groceries and gas, they likely cannot afford insurance either, which is also steadily skyrocketing.
In addition to that, life has drastically changed in 20 years. More and more people are spending their time online, instead of connecting with others in person. Many of us stew in an echo chamber of our own negativity and self-limiting beliefs due to algorithms that ensure we get more and more of the 'content' we interact with, leaving us feeling as though we are trapped.
Mental Health America reports that a whopping 50 million individuals have a mental illness, 15% are struggling with substance abuse dependency and over half of those struggling with a mental illness are not currently being treated. In addition, young moms are experiencing a surge among their population in rates of depression, which psychologists have stated is likely tied to their confidence in the positive outcome of their children, due to the many stressors we are facing as a nation.
"The work of parenting is essential not only for the health of children but also for the health of society. Additionally, we know that the well-being of parents and caregivers is directly linked to the well-being of their children," former U.S Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murphy wrote in an article titled "Parents Under Pressure,"
So, while there are many who still maintain the stance that we can 'shift our perspective' into a healthier mind----the fact of the matter is, the problem is only getting worse. We tend to tell people who are dealing with anxiety to 'not worry so much,' or those with depression that 'this too shall pass,' and those with post traumatic stress disorder to 'get yourself together,' meanwhile, their brains and bodies are literally sick. Think of it like this: an Alzheimer's patient has a physical gene that changes their brain, thus resulting in mental and physical decline. A schizophrenic patient sees and hears and believes things that aren't real, because their physical brain isn't functioning properly. Most of us accept this as true, yet we tell someone with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, OCD, borderline personality disorder and so on and so fourth to 'be strong.'
A study carried out and published by John Hopkin's University reports on the physical changes noticed in the bodies and brains of those suffering from mental illness on a physical level and had a lot to say. "At the same time, research has shown that mental health conditions are associated with specific biological changes in the brain, such as alterations in neurotransmitter activity and brain structure. These changes can be observed and measured using various scientific methods, indicating that mental health conditions have a biological basis."
Furthermore, many of those who suffer from mental illness are affected on a physical level in a number of devastating ways, such as higher rates of chronic illness, fatigue, digestive problems, heart problems, lower immunity to other illnesses and disease, thyroid issues and a shortened life span. In science class we learned that our brain is a supercomputer that controls all other functions of the physical body. When we are stressed, our body releases stress hormones, causing our central nervous system to amp up its responses, which causes our heart rate to soar, and a higher rate of wear and tear on our physical bodies, due to an inability for our bodies to rest.
While we often dismiss those who are struggling with mental illness and while society tends to view it as the opposition to physical illness, our mental and physical bodies are not so separate. Another side of this coin is that many people go to their doctor with chest pain, flu like symptoms and fatigue, only to be dismissed by their doctor and told that it is anxiety. Instead of running tests, they are given a script of benzos and sent on their way---only to return home and continue to see their illness manifest. Then, when they go back to the doctor and demand tests- they find our they have another issue (such as heart failure, thyroid dysfunction, hormonal imbalances and other diseases.)
What I am trying to say here is that mental health and mental illness is REAL. We have a major problem, which has been referenced as an epidemic by many major health organizations and if we do not do something soon, we are going to see these numbers skyrocket,
Our current treatment structure is faulty, because more often than not, doctors diagnose based on questionnaires or word of mouth when diagnosing mental illness. Unfortunately, there is a lot of overlap in the symptoms of mental illness which leads to misdiagnoses, and thus causes the wrong route of treatment to be administered. Getting the right therapist, therapy approach and medication is a journey and not an easy one. Even with the correct diagnoses, it can be hard to get the right treatment.
A study published in the journal 'World Psychiatry,' found that in Major Depressive Disorder, only 51% of patients responded to treatment. For those with General Anxiety Disorder, 52% responded to treatment, while 56% of those with Social Anxiety Disorder had positive results. Unfortunately, the rates were much lower in those who had post traumatic stress disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and any of the personality disorders (including Borderline Personality Disorder.)
It seems as if we are in need of a few things here: a real understanding of how our society has changed is impacting the population, a real understanding of what mental illnesses are and how to effectively treat them, along with a more enlightened approach for educating society about mental illness and what is actually is and how it actually works,
I said all of that to say---if you ever feel compelled to pass judgment on someone with a medically diagnosed mental health condition, or to tell them to 'be strong,' please remember that their illness is a physical illness. It isn't something that goes away with sheer will. They may be able to develop coping skills, just as those with physical illnesses can, but they cannot change their brain chemistry and cure themselves. Our society is largely responsible for the continued rise in the mental illness epidemic we are seeing now. Imagine how you would feel if your brain had turned on you, resulting in immense mental anguish day in and day out, and when you asked for help you were treated as though you were weak or inhrenetly bad. No wonder the rates of unwelcome outcomes has risen so much!
We have made so many people feel helpless, by dismissing their pain. Remember: mental health IS health. POINT. BLANK. PERIOD. It's pure ignorance to say otherwise. And for those of you struggling--- please do not allow ignorant or uneducated people to make you give up. You are so worth it to continue to fight until the right doctor gets you the right treatments. Please reach out to the Mental Health Crisis Line if you are in need of help or are feeling as though your situation is hopeless. The number is 988.