We’ve spoken a lot about health. Today, I want to address mental health.
I was recently watching a news program in which various people who were dealing with mental health problems (depressions, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc.) were speaking out about the stigma they faced. It’s common to write off someone’s behavior or something we disagree with as “crazy,” “nuts,” “insane,” or “mad.” What these people were saying is that derogatory terms like these stigmatize serious mental health issues and discourage people to seek treatment.
Indeed, mental health disorders can be quite common. They’re also somewhat hard to detect in many cases. I know several people who have struggled with anxiety without anyone around them really noticing. Some have said that they felt like maybe they were overreacting to stress, and didn’t want to talk to a medical professional for fear of seeming unhinged or disturbed by their peers.
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, anxiety, or other mental health disorders, seek treatment and surround yourself with supportive people who won’t simply shrug off your symptoms. In the meantime, try to be a bit more sensitive with regards to using terms like “crazy” and “nuts.”