Rethinking Mental Health
By Tucson Medical Center
·
05/14/2021
Let’s play a little game of word association.
What is your immediate response to the following words?
- Health
- Exercise
- Meditation
- Nutrition
- Asthma
- Vegetables
- Stress
- Mental health
Did the word ‘health’ evoke ideas of wellness? Of good food, strong bodies and a clean bill of health? Did you immediately think of physical health? You’re not alone.
What about mental health? Did you go straight to mental health disorders like bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety or perhaps therapy or medication? Again, if you did, you would not be alone.
Why is it that we associated mental health with disorders and health with physical well-being? Mental health includes our emotional, psychological and social well-being. Good mental health helps us not only enjoy life, but when difficult situations arise (as they do in life), we’re able to handle them better. A healthy mind helps our bodies stay healthy too. Health is both mental health and physical health, and until we recognize this as a community, we will struggle to address the health of our community.
Did you know mental health issues affect all members of society in some way, shape or form? The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that one in five Americans over age 18 will experience a mental health problem in a regular year.
You wouldn’t say to a friend having an asthma attack or a heart attack, buck up and snap out of it, nor should you when a loved one, or yourself are dealing with a mental health issue that affects your emotions, psychology or social well-being. Yet, how often do we try to convince ourselves not to seek out treatment when we’re experiencing a mental health crisis? Do you prioritize your mental health? Do you take time to take care of your emotional and psychological health? Are you teaching the children in your life to take care of their mental health?
During the month of May, Mental Health Month, and every month, we encourage you to consider how you are taking care of your mental health.
Stigma surrounding mental health
The stigma revolving around mental health is significant and, unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common.
Stigma can lead to discrimination. Discrimination may be obvious and direct, such as someone making a negative remark about your mental illness or your treatment. Or it may be unintentional or subtle, such as someone avoiding you because the person assumes you could be unstable, violent or dangerous due to your mental illness. You may even judge yourself.
Some of the harmful effects of stigma can include:
- Reluctance to seek help or treatment
- Lack of understanding by family, friends, co-workers or others
- Fewer opportunities for work, school or social activities or trouble finding housing
- Bullying, physical violence or harassment
- Health insurance that doesn't adequately cover your mental illness treatment
- The belief that you'll never succeed at certain challenges or that you can't improve your situation
Steps to cope with stigma
Our clinical collaborator Mayo Clinic suggests these seven ways to cope with the stigma of mental health:
Others' judgments almost always stem from a lack of understanding rather than information based on facts. Learning to accept your condition and recognize what you need to do to treat it, seeking support and helping educate others can make a big difference.
