Free Personal Assesment

CHANGING THE DIALOG AROUND MENTAL HEALTH

Along with changing the stigma surrounding mental health, how we phrase specific terms that relate to depression and anxiety is important as well. These days, people are not considered drug addicts in the press, you say they suffer from addiction, and as Inc reports, it can be beneficial if people rephrase and rethink how they talk about mental health.

*As Amy Morin, the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, writes, “The phrase ‘mental illness’ tends to be used in a derogatory manner. ‘He must be mentally ill.’ But we don’t talk about physical health that way. No one ever describes someone else by saying, ‘He’s physically ill.’”

*Morin continues, “When it comes to physical health, we understand that health is a broad spectrum…Mental health is a continuum. And there’s a good chance you aren’t at the ‘completely mentally healthy end of the spectrum.’” Not that this is a bad thing Morin cites a Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that says that only 17% of adults have “optimal mental health.” Which means that most of us all have to deal with mental problems from time to time.

*So how can we turn the dialog around? Morin recommends talking about resources because “people need to know where to turn for help.” Then “discuss strategies for building mental health.” In other words, practice exercises in your head that will strengthen your abilities to cope with life. Create a strategy in your head that will help you when life throws things at you.

*Also “incorporate conversations about mental health into the workday,” and again, “think about mental health as a continuum…acknowledge that we all have ups and downs in life, and there are times when your mental health will be better, and times it will be worse.”

*Another thing that Morin hopes can turn around one day is how “mental illness is portrayed in movies and media…Movies, TV shows, and video games tend to portray people with mental illness as dangerous. Talk openly with others about the fact that most people with mental illness are not a danger to anyone.”

 

Sonia
Article by Sonia

Subscribe to plan to start chatting

Subscribe Now