Today I will be talking about the importance of being able to openly discuss mental health anywhere in society wether its at your work, church, and school. I will also be discussing some statistics on why people don’t seek out counseling for a variety of reasons and how we as a community are able to change this.
Right now is such a crucial time period for mental health and to become an advocate for it because, suicide has hit its peak. Wether you are a teenager or an adult that is trying to navigate the mental health world, it becomes nearly discouraging and even more stressful than ever before. There was a study done that showed almost (50 percent) couldn’t afford the cost of counseling due to insurance not covering it, and almost (30 percent) thought they could handle their mental health without intervention.
There was another study done that showed that (97 percent) of the respondents considered access to mental health services “important”, but only (70 percent) felt that they had adequate access to mental health care. It was also discovered that only (30 percent) of respondents were concerned about other people finding out if they sought mental health treatment, and (20 percent) said that the stigma is “a very important reason not to seek help” from a mental health professional.
After reading the studies done on society I was saddened, however I knew this was an accurate depiction on the mental health world today. My experience with the mental health world has been both good and bad. I know the stigma surrounding mental health needs to change, and is slowly changing for the better. However in order for mental health to be completely acceptable in society, we need to join together as a community and make it known that “it is okay not to be okay”, but its what we do with the feelings and emotions that make a difference.
Knowing the difference between real emotions and un-real emotions. What I mean by this is that when we become tired, uninterested in our usual daily activities, and more emotional we need to look at the big picture and determine,
- Why am I feeling like this?
- Do I need to do some breathing exercises?
- Who do I feel comfortable talking to about how I am feeling and perhaps ask what changes have they seen in me?
Once we do this we can determine if the feelings were generated by a physical thing that has happened or if our mind is inputting negative thoughts in our head, throwing us off. It is also so so so important to designate someone wether its a family member, friend, or pastor as someone you feel can 100 percent be trusted and be truthful with you about whatever you may be struggling with.
In the Bible it consistently talks about how we need community and we were not intended to do life alone. God specifically asked Peter several times to make it know and to love and create community.
I am extremely passionate and feel God calling me to continue on my path to get my psychology degree, and become a mental health counselor. However my goal is not to just be any mental health counselor, my goal is to be Affordable, Accessible, and Accepting.
Thank you so much for reading todays blog and if you enjoy and or feel inspired to be part of the change feel free to message me and I would love to meet up for coffee and chat sometime.
References –
Emamzadeh, Arash (2018, October 18). 15 Reasons Why People With Depression Don’t Get Treatment. Psychologytoday.com
Chamberlin, J. (2004, July/August). More Americans Are Seeking Mental Health Treatment. apa.org
Life With Ellie 