Mental Health

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       Unfortunately, I couldn't finish the book; I only read chunks of the beginning and middle, so I only know so much. So I took the option to read mental health websites instead, and here discuss them with the same focus.

       First, there's something we were talking about in class that is addressed in one article I read, something that I didn't put into this exact wording till now. I've known it in concept, but don't think of it often.

       Mental health encompasses more than actual diagnoses; if you have poor self-esteem, are consistently stressed, insecure, or anything like that, your mental health is suffering. I mean, obviously we know that it's terrible to feel insecure, stressed, self-conscious, but when it's not debilitating and directly hazardous to yours or others' health and safety, it's easy to overlook it, to not think of it as still suffering mentally--but it is.

      We know that everyone in this world has trouble with their emotional well-being every now and then--it'd be virtually impossible to find one person that is perfectly, completely happy and satisfied with their life. And it's actually even more prevalent nowadays, those negative thoughts and feelings. And despite things like stress and insecurity not being medically considered 'disorders,' or whatever you want to call them, they obviously still effect the way we think, which shapes the way we feel, which shapes the way we act, which shapes the way we function.

    It's hard enough to function in today's society, without people telling you your feelings are invalid, or not bothering to take them just as seriously and give you the help you need. We all need help, because we are all suffering, in some way or another. Regardless of the severity or duration, we all need help. No one should be shrugged aside or told to 'just deal with it'--that only makes it worse. And the education system at large really needs to sort out priorities, and teach students that good grades aren't the only type of success, and that success is not the most important thing in life by far, and that it's okay to fail sometimes (and actually inevitable) and that our failings don't have to be a negative thing, but rather a learning experience.

     I think it's important for leaders, and people in general, to be educated and aware of the distinctions in mental conditions, and emotional well-being, because of something we also talked about: everyone's symptoms and the type of help we need are different. Sure, some are the same, but with how many conditions exist, how many symptoms overlap and can be confused with other things, it's important for things like therapy, medicine and the like, to be way more accessible and attainable. If that requires extra funding, so be it; it is unequivocally something to invest in.

     It's also important for all of us to keep an open mind and a gracious spirit with each other. It's important for society to treat mental health as just as important as physical health; to make people feel safe to talk about it. We still have a ways to go, but as far as I can see, the world is finally starting to catch on to those things.




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