You probably noticed by now, but we’re all excited that it’s not only Mental Health Awareness Month, but a few days ago on May 18, our bloggers participated in blogging for mental health. It’s been a wonderful week spreading information about mental health and busting stigma that still exists on mental illness.
Why is spreading mental health awareness and fighting prejudice so important?
About ten years ago, I was talking to a college classmate about depression. He was just 20 years old and I was a few years older and several years ahead of him in terms of my experience with mental illness. I had witnessed the impact depression had on my grandfather when I was 16.
When the topic of mental illness and depression came up, he passionately voiced his opinions to me. He felt that depression was a made up illness, that people didn’t need to pop a pill or even talk to a therapist, they simply needed to smile, suck it up and get on with their lives. I probably don’t need to tell you it pretty much ended our friendship. I was so upset that I didn’t even ask him why he felt that way or try to convince him otherwise. My anger silenced me and nothing more was said.
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In my post for the blogging party, I argued against “mental illness” as a useful concept. But after reading your introduction to the ‘Best of the Blogs,’ I’m moved to emphasize that although the “illness” concept seems flawed to me, there is no question that people suffer and die as the result of emotional and cognitive distress. These conditions are real and they demand attention. It is important that we combat unhelpful paradigms, but it is probably more important to remain clear that the mind can cause great suffering, whether we call this “illness” or not.
We must find solutions to these problems. My objections to medication, for instance, are not due to any bias that drugs are a bad idea; it would be terrific to have a truly efficacious antidepressant, for instance. The problem is, psychiatric drug effectiveness is demonstrably low, while the side-effect profile is high.
So I fully endorse your concerns about the damaging effects of mental distress on individuals and families. I support working to help people cope with these problems. I object to those who downplay the seriousness of the issue. But I still think we need to revise the biomedical model.
Brandi-Ann–
If you approve the comment I just wrote, please repair the link to my post. I must have left off the closing tag, but I can’t fix it now.
Thanks,
–Will