For years, mental illness has been treated like the elephant in the room. A much-needed topic of discussion so worth having however so frequently avoided. Growing up I’d hear people say things like, “he’s crazy or she’s senile.” The sensitivity surrounding these illnesses were often downplayed. No one took an opportunity to explain what was meant by either -crazy or senile-so I grew up with a lack of understanding as well as a mischaracterization of a mental health problem. It wasn’t until my son was diagnosed with a mental illness that I became enlightened and started to educate myself so that I could be a good support for him. Notably, I came to learn that mental health and mental illness are not the same thing. If we are to break the stigma it’s important that we understand what these two terms mean and not be afraid to talk about them. If your loved one had the flu, you wouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed to talk about it. So why are we afraid to talk about our mental health and mental illnesses?!
In my opinion, our lack of “health literacy,” as a community and a society has yielded negative impacts on mental health problems thereby causing those living with a mental illness to not seek the professional help they need. Our attitudes about mental health and mental illnesses must change! If a change is going to happen, we must be willing to be uncomfortable! #Breakthestigma
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