Hello everyone!
Much apologies from Sir Post-A-Lot! I've been traveling somewhat and the time differences have gotten me all a flutter. Please do accept my sincerest apologies! I remember what happened to the previous Social Media Monkey, and I do hope that I don't go his way anytime soon!
Our team at The Mind work very hard to educate the public about mental health and to get rid of the stigma that clings to it. Yes, mental health disorders can be debilitating if left untreated, but it doesn't have to the be all and end all of an individual. With the right treatment and help, you can learn to live with what you have much like any other illness that you may have.
But there in lies one of the most difficult aspects of mental health disorders that we face. Unlike a stubbed toe, or appendicitis, we can't just tell everyone what we have and our loved ones nod knowingly. Mental health disorders can oftentimes be a very lonely disorder, and because its so private, others around us can only guess what its like. Given how our minds are not the best at filling in the blanks of the unknown, these guesses are often filled with negativity and assumptions of 'craziness'. It's curious that we would never call someone with a STD crazy or say that they can just snap out of it, and yet we say as a society all to regularly when someone has depression or bipolar disorder.
Today, we bring you a fantastic piece on ted.com which explores ideas about mental health, why its such a taboo and what we can do about it to remove the stigma that is often associated with mental health. In their link, there are links to a whole host of articles, papers and videos that you can have a look see to better understand what mental health disorders are about.
In the article, the author tells us that 1 in 4 of us experiences mental health issues. So in a family of 4, there is a chance that one of you may be going through a tough time. In a classroom of 30, up to 7 of your classmates may be suffering. In an office of a hundred, 25 of your colleagues may have a mental health disorder. Take a moment and think about how that you may never have realized that your friends, family and colleagues are suffering on their own. Or that you've never ever shown your pain to your loved ones and others around you.
Why is it that when we are suffering and when we have an illness, we feel such a need to hide it away and not get the help and support that we need? Or why do we need to think the worst of people who suffer from an illness? Now imagine if we didn't, how much simpler would things be for us all.
On that sobering note, this is Sir Post-A-Lot signing off once again. Thank you all for your time, and I shall return in time next week for our regular postings once again. Good day to you all.
