Addressing Mental Health Head On
According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), in 2020 about one in five adults, 52.9 million people, in the United States were living with a mental illness, making mental health issues a common phenomenon. 24.3 million of these individuals were reported to have received mental health services in the past year (NIMH, 2022). With the onset of the pandemic and the disruption of life that ensued, the past couple of years has seen an increase in distressing symptoms, which prompted President Biden to declare May as the month designated to raise awareness of mental health issues (Biden, 2021). Various public figures such as Demi Lovato, Michael Phelps, and Daniel Radcliffe - just to name a few - have courageously stepped forward to speak about their own struggles to help normalize the issue, continue the conversation, and decrease the stigma that keeps people from seeking help (Office of Public Affairs, 2017).
If mental health issues are a common reality, where does the stigma come from then?
Also, what are the underlying fears of talking about mental health? If I admit that I struggle with depression what does that say about me? If I see someone who is anxious or fearful, does that change how I think or feel about them? The answer to these and questions like them hold the key to the mental health stigma. How we see ourselves (the internal factors) and how we believe we are perceived by others (the external factors) both have the power to encourage or discourage action toward the pursuit of health. Albert Ellis spoke about the tendency to make desires into absolutes (I must not fail, I must not look bad; I should not feel this way, I should be able to do this, etc.) and when our reality collapses short of these absolutes, then we fall into dysregulation (Murdock, 2017). Oftentimes, those same absolutes are what keep us from seeking help due to self-imposed shame. Social constructs that point to the perfect body, the perfect job, the perfect spouse, the most influential person or the trend-setter, and the highly praised and valued also often paint a picture of a reality that is not achievable or realistic, and the pursuit of such sets people up for failure.
What would it look like to change absolute and rigid inner monologues into more lenient and flexible self-talk?
The “musts” and “shoulds” of life cause us to be mired in self-condemnation and shame at not having already achieved, and shame makes us want to hide. More flexible and kind thinking can both acknowledge that the current state is not ideal AND see a path forward. This helps us recognize that it is okay not to be okay. Recognizing that you are not alone and that you are in good company is another great place to start. Having mental health struggles does not make you any less of a person, any less valuable, and it does not mean you are broken or cannot be successful. There are many examples of successful people who also deal with mental health challenges. Welcome to the club!
The path forward recognizes that you are not defined by any one thing, and you have agency towards change, happiness, and health.
Written by Tim Scudder
References:
Biden Jr., J. R. (2021). A Proclamation on National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2021. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2021/04/30/a-proclamation-on-national-mental-health-awareness-month-2021/
Murdock, N.L. (2017). Theories of counseling and psychotherapy: A case approach (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education. ISBN-13: 9780134240220. Retrieved from http://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/pearson/2016/
National Institute of Mental Health. (2022, January). Mental lllness. Retrieved April 14, 2022 from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/mental-illness#:~:text=Mental%20illnesses%20are%20common%20in,(52.9%20million%20in%202020).
Office of Public Affairs. (2017, April 26). 10 celebrities who struggle with mental health. https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/postings/2017/04/celebs-mental.php