ENCOURAGE LOVED ONES TO SEEK MENTAL HEALTH CARE
The fear of being judged by friends and family can make a person hide, rather than seek real help. Many continue to live with their mental health issues and find their own ways of coping which many times ends up in drug abuse, addiction and suicide.
The stigma attached to poor mental health and mental health illnesses causes millions of people to reject the help that could improve their quality of life.
Why does this stigma exist and how do we remove this stigma from our society?
The stigma associated with mental health illness dates back to before the middle ages when people with mental illness were locked up or executed.
During the middle ages, people with mental illness were believed to be possessed by Satan and the only way to deal with the ‘possession’ was to imprison these people or burn them at the stake.
During the enlightenment, institutions were built to house people who have a mental illness, but these institutions in many cases devolved into quagmires in which disease was rampant, and abuse was common.
The belief that these institutions were the best way to care for people with mental illness continued for hundreds of years until behavioral medicine was established and developed in the 20th century.
Understanding of Mental Health as an Illness
Now that we have a better understanding of mental health and understand that people with mental illness can experience improvements, it’s time for us to make the effort to eliminate stigma and encourage people to get the mental health care they need.
Eliminating stigma starts with educating society about mental health and illness.
The best place to begin is to fold mental health into the curriculums of elementary school physical education classes and junior and senior high school health classes.
Through, media campaigns that include television and YouTube ads that feature a famous individual and provides small bursts of information can be effective.
Among the millions of people that avoid mental health care as a result of the fear of judgment are people that we know and see every day.
You can help by supporting those in your life and helping them to live the highest quality of life possible by seeking the mental health care they need.
And if you are the one struggling with mental health, know there are a better life and a better way. Together with our team, you can live the highest quality of your life by seeking support and help.
Call today to speak with our team, and start your new path today.
