It wasn’t long ago that #bellletstalk was trending on Twitter. During the campaign I posted, in less that 140 characters of course, that after the day had ended we should be encouraged to continue sharing our stories using the hashtag #letstalk. Now, I’m not writing this blog post to encourage us all to get back on twitter and cause a new trend, but I am writing to point out that it hasn’t exactly gone the way we all would have hoped for. What I mean is this: The purpose of my tweet was to encourage us to not only support mental health with lip service, but to continue to have an active discussion and community of sharing. Instead, those brave people that shared their stories during that day, or shared their support, have slowly withered and crawled back into the caves of the world. I want this post, and what I am about to say, to encourage those people to once again step out into the light, and to re-establish the sense of community that we had towards mental illness on that day.
Let’s Talk.
The first thing that I want to do is establish something that many people have been arguing for a long time and yet we seem to deny: Mental Illness is as real an illness as the physical diseases we come across every day.
I think that, because the symptoms of mental illness are often internal rather than external, we are resilient to accept mental health as a legitimate concern in the world today. For example, if one of your coworkers were to call in sick to work and then you saw them out at a grocery store, what would your reaction be?
“You don’t look sick.”
“You sound fine.”
“Last time I called in sick I could hardly get out of bed.”
First, a lot of mental illnesses, when at their strongest, really do interfere with activities like going out for groceries. They also can greatly inhibit performance on other tasks like concentration. So, while it may very well be possible for them to go to the grocery store and pick up a frozen pizza because they had no food at home, sitting at a computer or working in retail could really be an impossibility to them. There are very real external symptoms of mental illness. It isn’t a question of will power or of resolve like we assume it is.
Secondly, there are many physical symptoms or characteristics of mental illnesses that we cannot possibly see from the naked eye. We’ve all used the statement, “It’s an actual chemical imbalance that I can’t control” before, but have we really examined just how concrete these differences are? Here are some examples:
Depression: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biology_of_depression
Pay special attention to changes in the Subgenual Cingulate, as well as the effects of Serotonin levels.
Anxiety: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anxiety_disorder
Pay special attention to the activity in the Amygdala.
Note: I used Wikipedia articles because, truth be told, the majority of people that read this have no interest in the gritty details of psychology. Truth be told, though, that’s also the point of this article… to make us care and do our research before we start to judge. Even behavioral disorders like OCD and ADHD have identifiable characteristics in brain development.
Why do we ignore these truths? I think one answer is quite simple. We like to believe that our bodies are not related to our emotions. We have this built up sense of mind/body dualism, an acceptance of the soul, and mind > matter. The truth is, and as much as we don’t like to admit it, our emotions are as controlled by our bodily functions as morning sickness.
Moving On.
The second thing I want to emphasize is the importance of community and of sharing.
Sharing your story and building a supportive community around you are key to battling mental illness. The responsibility for developing and sharing is on both those suffering from mental illness and those around them.
The stigma associated with mental illness has created a fear for those that are either diagnosed, or suffering in fear of being diagnosed. The idea of taking medication because you’ve been feeling sad or because you’ve been having panic attacks is completely unheard of to many people. This is a problem, as a sense of community can be one of the greatest assets to a person suffering from any kind of mental illness. Sharing their story and not being afraid to admit their struggles can aid in a person’s fight through mental illness.
Michael Landsberg, who many people know from his sports show Off the Record, has become an avid supporter of sharing stories of fight and recovery. He encourages people to engage with him on Twitter, daily if need be, and actively responds to ensure people know that there is at least one individual listening to him. On that note, here is his Twitter account, and I highly recommend engaging with him if you are struggling: @heylandsberg
Here is an article documenting the impact that sharing and inclusion can have on mental illness (parental support AND peer support): http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/abn/113/1/155/
and another: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:QURE.0000015288.43768.e4
The responsibility for creating this community is on us, and by us I mean everyone. It means that if you are not suffering from mental illness, you need to be opening your arms and your ears to those that are. If you are, you need to know that you are not alone in your trials. Many people, including some of the most successful people in the world, are going through some of the same things as you. None of our stories are going to be identical, but pushing through trials can be a lot easier when you connect with people that have made it to the other side, and people that are making the walk through right next to you.
So, here are the two things that I want you to take away from this:
1. Mental illness is rooted in biological factors. Though we may not always see the symptoms, they are there. It isn’t because people need to be tougher, in-fact, I bet that if you had the same chemical imbalances and brain activity, you’d be suffering from depression to. Actually, I know that’s the case.
2. Building a community is key in the fight against mental illness. Supporting those around us that are suffering from mental illness, and seeking support when we need it (medical or social) are some of the most important steps to take. The responsibility is on all of us.
Nathan Olmstead 