If someone stood in front of you with a gaping hole in their leg, and expressed the feeling of pain, would you call them weak?

If that same individual told you that it would take almost a month to gain access to a doctor to evaluate their health, would you be appalled?

If the injured person cried over the deterioration of their condition, would you frame them as an “attention seeker?”

Unfortunately, the societal stigma surrounding mental illness makes the aforementioned scenarios strikingly common in today’s world. Psychological health is perceived as less integral than physical health, when in reality, issues with the former can oftentimes lead to dire consequences.

On a social level, confiding in someone that you suffer from mental illness can be much more nerve-wracking than telling someone you have Asthma. Why? Because our culture existed for years believing that psychological health was a result of emotional strength. This, we now know, is far from the truth.

It is long outdated mythology that mental health and physical health are not linked in any way. In fact, neurological biochemistry that affects mood is closely paired to diseases like anxiety and depression. Why is it, still, that depressed teens get referred to as “crazy,” or “attention seekers,” for a disease based in genetics and biological composition? The problem is centered on a lack of education present regarding mental health.

Even more disturbing than this is the stance taken by the medical community regarding non-emergency cases in mental health. It is possible for a patient who is an immediate threat to themselves or others to receive instant treatment, however, there is rarely a “quick” solution for those who suffer from less critical psychological ailments. This means that someone suffering deeply from a depressive episode/anxiety attack may have to wait weeks to get treatment from a medical doctor, and even then, may struggle with insurance policies or financial burdens, that are typically more stringent with psychological health.

This is an extremely brief overview of only a fraction of the issues that our nation must recognize in the realm of mental health, however the point that I’m trying to make is that reform is necessary. Change begins with education and policy, and I hope that as I move forward towards a career in this field of work, that I can contribute to the development of treatment plans in as many ways as possible, integrating culture and medicine for a beneficial outcome.