In 1946, Harry Truman passed the National Mental Health Act, that created the National Institute of Mental Health and allocated government funds wards research into the causes of and treatments for mental illness. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill was founded in 1979 to provide support, education, advocacy, and research services for people with serious psychiatric illnesses.
Approximately 1 in 5 American adults experience mental illness each year. Someone close to you likely does, even if you don’t live with mental illness. Depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and ‘posttraumatic’ stress disorder, for instance, are all very different illnesses, and they can range from mild to severe.If you need to be an ally to people living with mental illness, you have understand what it was. Portrayals of mental illness in the media and culture at large, however, haven’t exactly created an environment in which conversations about mental health can thrive. While Hollywood often depicts people with mental illness as violent criminals or individuals beyond help, society often paints people with depression or anxiety as complainers who fake their conditions. The biggest misconceptions about mental illness is that it’s all one of the things.
That doesn’t mean asking them to explain it to you. You can start with informational resources from the National Institute of Mental Health, theNational Alliance on Mental Illness, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the World Health Organization.
You can find alternatives to crazy and similar insensitive words here.
It’s a good idea to always be cognizant of how your language can contribute to that stigma, as an advocate and ally. It’s crucial to engage people who may not be as informed about mental health, advocacy is easy when people agree with you. These interactions, though more difficult, are important in breaking down stereotypes and ending negative stigma.
Ignoring mental health or mental illness doesn’t make it go away.
Like people of color and men, in certain demographics, as an example, conversations about mental health can be especially taboo.
That’s when it’s most important to be vocal. Better mental health advocates lead by example. Usually, talk about how you’re feeling and take care of yourself and that includes rejecting the stigma that persists around therapy. Let me tell you something. In making an effort to language we use when discussing mental health can contribute to negative stigma and the lack of seriousness with which many act ward it.