A few days ago, someone at work referenced mental health patients with the idea that people who see mental health professionals were crazy. For a lot of Americans, that’s a fully believed misconception. For the 13% of adults in America who sought mental health treatment last year (according to the National Institute for Mental health, NIMH), “crazy” is a lazy descriptor for a plethora of mental health disorders that affect the people that you know and love every single day.
People like me. People like my best friend. People who have jobs, go to college, have hobbies, enjoy life, and probably seem happy a lot of the time. People who are viewed as successful and overachievers. People who seem to have it all together.
Mental illness doesn’t discriminate based on gender, race, religion, job title, or anything else. It can affect anyone. It doesn’t ask if you’d like to experience it, and it should be considered like any other illness by society.
May is mental health awareness month. We shouldn’t limit our care towards mental health to 31 days, but if we focus on learning about mental illness, the stigma associated with those disorders and diseases, and then try our best to be positive towards them; it would make an incredible difference for people who deal with these issues every day.
The most common mental illness in 2014 and 2015 was depression. At least 15.7 million Americans experienced some form of major depression, which includes an episode lasting two or more weeks. This is about 6.7% of people in the US, which gives you a good chance of knowing at least one person who has experienced depression.
People who have depression show signs in different ways that may seem confusing to the untrained eye. They may not just come out and say, “I’m sad” and just stay in their bedroom for days at a time. Some of the symptoms can be being tired, feeling like you’re “speeding up” or “slowed down”, feeling worthless or guilty, having trouble concentrating or with decision making, or even thoughts of suicide. Not everyone who has depression experiences all these symptoms, and there are lists of symptoms that could lead to a depression diagnosis.
Some people decide that counseling is right for them. Some people are on medication for their illness, (just like you would take medication if you were a diabetic, or had high cholesterol). Some people find that a combination of the two is the best thing for them. It’s individualized, just like all other types of medicine.
Disregard all the medical information for a moment, and think back to a time where you were talking with a friend and there a huge problem they were dealing with. Maybe there was a divorce, a death in the family, an accident, or anything that affected them harshly. There was probably a moment that all you could say is, “I’m sorry, I wish I could help.” Wouldn’t it be great if there were someone that could help?
There are people who are extremely qualified to help; regardless of how outlandish or insignificant the situation feels. There are more than 120,000 people who are licensed counselors across the United States that are currently practicing. To become a licensed counselor, you graduate with degrees in the field, spend time shadowing a doctor, and you complete super clinical hours watching and understanding how the best professionals work.
Even if your friend was going through something that seems temporary, like a parents’ divorce, they might benefit from seeing someone who understands the psychology behind what’s happening, explains it to them in a clearer light, and can make sure that they’re really okay.
You don’t have to go to counseling forever, but you can if you want. Counseling is based on the individual patient. Using counseling as a tool can be really beneficial in the long run for some people. For some, it can be used to help them live a more fulfilling and intentional life.
Even with counseling, medication, and the various methods to help treat mental il;nesses, people view mental illness with many negative and incorrect stereotypes. Some people assume that people with depression are just lazy, or crazy. People with anxiety are really just too high-strung and need a vacation. People who have bipolar disorder are just crazy and need to be locked away.
But mental illness is not a choice. They are all things happening to people you care about, and that’s why you should take the time to read more than just this article, and talk about it in a kind way.
Just talking about it with your friends will probably have at least one or two people saying, “Yeah, I saw someone when my grandmother died” or “I really enjoy seeing my counselor every week- it helps me feel like I can manage my feelings.”
When you get to those moments of honesty, take it for what it is- someone getting the help they need. Your friend doing something good for themselves. Celebrate them for it. Let them know you care. Love them and reassure them often. Remind everyone you know that it’s May: it’s Mental Health Awareness month. Go see someone yourself, if you want or need to. I won’t snicker or ask if I should be afraid of you because
Yes, I see someone. No, I’m not crazy.
