Why is Mental Health Not Taken Seriously?

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. While our world celebrates getting physically fit, eating well and brushing teeth, they neglect our mental health. You may have high blood pressure and you may want to lose weight but neglect the most valuable part of your body – your mind.

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) states that 1 in 5 Americans experienced a mental health issue in the previous year and nearly 45 million adults in the United States suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. 

Despite the high numbers and statistics from government entities, mass media rarely reports on mental health problems in society. Studies have shown that depression and anxiety are now more common than cancer, heart disease and HIV/AIDS; however, most people don’t know this because we don’t talk about it!

Mental Health affects everyone whether you’re an athlete, entrepreneur, college student, stay-at-home parent, someone with anxiety or depression, or the person sitting next to you at work. Mental Health affects you!

Everyone needs to be aware of how their mind works. We need to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness by educating ourselves and others. Mental Health is not only important for adults but children too. If you’re a parent or if you’re working with children, learning about their mental health is crucial.

This article will find you why mental health is not taken seriously and the potential ways to improve it. 

What is Mental Illness?

Mental illness in simple words can be described as a diverse range of diseases which sickness people, who suffer from this illness, don’t have common sense and rationality.

It can be treated by the usage of various drugs, psychotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy and many other methods, but in most cases therapy is more effective than medication.

It may take different forms like phobias, paranoia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders and so on.

In some cases people don’t even realize that they suffer from any mental diseases and they keep living their lives as they lived before this disease showed up.

The problem is that with ignoring mental illness it can lead to very dangerous situations. People can suffer from depression and they can even commit suicide. 

So it is very important to understand the symptoms of mental illness and take all the possible steps to prevent any possible result of this disease.

However, mental illness is a treatable condition and is not related to intelligence or strength of character. It affects people of all ages and races equally. 

Some of the symptoms of mental illness may include:

• unrealistic fears,
• repetitive behavior patterns,
• severe mood swings,
• a sense of unreality and
• depression.

Why is Mental Health So Overlooked?

The short answer is stigma. Mental illnesses are not taken seriously because we don’t know how to talk about them.

When you’re diagnosed with a physical illness, you go to the doctor, follow the treatment and it goes away. With a mental illness, that isn’t the case. There is no cure-all pill or surgery.

There is a dangerous misconception that mental illness is a phenomenon that impacts only a select few. In actuality, according to the Canadian Mental Health Association, “one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness or addiction problem in the course of a year.” 

From those numbers, it’s clear we’re not talking about outliers but millions of Canadians who are fighting an often invisible battle.

It’s time to recognize mental illnesses as just as serious as physical ones, if not more.

By now, it’s pretty clear that mental illnesses are a real thing. Yet, as a society, we don’t talk about mental health in the same way we talk about physical ailments. This needs to change.

Why is Mental Health Important for You?

Do you suffer from stress, anxiety, depression or any other mental health issue? We all know that our mental well-being is important and how crucial it is to our life success. One can be physically healthy and not so mentally healthy. I’m talking about mental health or psychological health.

Millions of people all over the world struggle with mental health issues every day. In some cases, it is a mild form of depression, which can be rectified with a few lifestyle changes and good habits. However, in many cases, mental illness has a negative impact on one’s health, performance at work and relationships.

When it comes to feeling good about yourself and your life, you don’t have to settle for just being “OK.

Mental health is as vital for a person’s health as good nutrition and physical exercise are for their physical well-being. So, why is it that we are not paying due attention to our mental fitness?

How to Improve Your Mental Health?

Everybody experiences a mental health problem at some point in their life. It could range from extreme anxiety to a lack of energy that everybody feels after a busy day. But how do you improve your mental health?

Even though mental health is as important as physical health, it’s often neglected. In Finland, for instance, mental health problems cause 3 times more disability than musculoskeletal pain, respiratory problems and skin conditions together. 

If you have been experiencing mental health symptoms, it is extremely important that you seek professional help in order to get well. If you have access to a psychiatrist, I highly suggest that you consider visiting one. 

They can help you determine if the root of your problems are biological or psychological and work with you to get back on your feet.

Let’s take a look at some key points how to improve mental health;

1. Connect with other people. 
2. Be active physically. 
3. Learn new skills. 
4. Give to others. 
5. Focus on your present. 

How Therapy Can Help You Improve Mental Health Conditions?

Mental health can affect anyone. It’s normal to feel anxious, depressed or stressed sometimes but for some people, it’s more than that. If you’re struggling with mental health you’re not alone. 

We’ve all been there. We try to focus, but it’s just impossible. The mind keeps interrupting with thoughts about deadlines, lists of things still to do, and nagging worries about some question that popped into our heads a few days (or weeks) ago. 

We tried to ignore it, but now it’s an issue — one that’s pushing us far off course from what we want to be doing.

The New York Times writes “therapy has been shown to improve mental health conditions by working with the patient to understand the cause of their distress and helping them develop the skills and resources they need to overcome it.

Take a little step to improve your mental health. Book an appointment at Online-Therapy and get 20% OFF today.