One in five Americans struggle with mental illness. With May being Mental Health Awareness month, importance comes not only from bringing awareness to mental health, but from breaking the stigma surrounding it. We should be pushing from one month of mental health awareness, to 12 months of mental health action.
People must change their perception of those with mental health issues. Disposing of the labels of “weak” or “inferior” is a start. Many people with mental issues can be helped, but do not want to be stigmatized as being mentally ill. Eliminating labels and acknowledging mental illness as a barrier to a happy life is the first step in treating it.
The mentally ill are stereotyped as crazy, violent and dangerous. Most of the mentally ill are wholesome and live life in hopes to feel normal.
What is considered to be a mental illness changes over time. In PubMed Central, Jack Drescher said, “In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed the diagnosis of ‘homosexuality’ from the second edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.”
The inconsistency of what is considered to be a mental illness can affect who gets to be helped.
Psychiatric hospitals have to reject people with mental health issues because they are not considered sick enough to be treated. In PBS SoCal, Mona Shattell said, “A person has to have thoughts and intentions to kill themselves or others.” The intention to kill is the admission to a psychiatric hospital, but someone may have the intentions to kill another person and not realize it until it is too late. Mental health is just as, if not more important than physical health. If someone believes they need to be admitted into a psychiatric hospital, they should not have to worry about their access being denied.
Without the access to professional care, people who struggle with mental health problems sometimes turn to drugs for temporary relief for the confusion that clouds their mind. This causes another set of problems. It can make someone believe the use of substances is the only way to cope with their illness. However, abusing substances as a means of alleviating mental illnesses is only a temporary solution that can often lead to long term problems. Substance use often turns into substance abuse.
Drug use is not the only way to help mental illness.
Medicaid is one of the most important programs to help people with mental illnesses, however it is vulnerable to budget cuts. All the awareness brought to mental health, means little if we cut back on action.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness has programs to help people who battle with mental health. NAMI Homefront is a program for the families of veterans with mental health conditions. NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a program for adults with mental health conditions.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness says “20% of youth ages 13-18 live with a mental health condition.”
Because mental illness starts at such a young age, the community should aim to help the kids of the future maintain a steady state of mind.
Assistance with mental health is available at Citrus College in the Student Health Center, located in the Student Service Building, SS 147. They offer help to those who battle with loneliness, relationship issues, self-esteem issues, school struggles, substance use and much more.
People who suffer from mental illness are everywhere, and having May as a mental awareness month is great but mental health deserves more attention than it receives.
Dedicating one month of the year does not signify the importance of promoting wellness for the mentally ill. Twelve months of mental health action could enhance the lives to those who need it most.
