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Why is it Important to Talk About Mental Health? - Coggle Diagram
Why is it Important to Talk About Mental Health?
Connection Between Mental and Physical Health
Even though there are distincitions between the mind and body, mental and physical health should not be thought of as different things.
Poor mental health has been shown to damage physical health, and poor physical health has been shown to damage mental health.
Life expectancy is 25-30 years shorter for those who suffer from a serious mental disorder than those who don't.
People with depression are 40% more likely to develop a heart condition.
Suicide is the second leading cause of death for those ages 10-34.
1 out of 8 emergency room visits are related to mental health or substance abuse.
The average life expectancy in the U.S is 78.6 years, but for those with a serious mental health condition it is 49-60 years.
Consequences of Mental Health Stigma
We add to mental health stigmas when we don't talk about mental health or bring awareness to it.
There are many harmful effects of mental health stigmas.
Discrimination is a harmful effect of mental health stifma.
With mental health stigma there is often a lack of understanding from friends, family, coworkers, etc.
Mental health stigmas can lead to fewer career opportunities, fewer education opportunities, fewer social opportunities, and trouble finding housing.
Those who struggle with mental health are often bullied or even physically harmed or harassed.
Some health insurances don't cover mental health treatment as they do physical treatment.
Those with mental health issues often feel that their situation will not improve.
Stigmas can lead to people hesitating to seek treatment, and even though around 20% of Americans experience mental health struggles, only around half seek treatment.
Even though mental health disroders are treatable and people can get better, the longer that they wait to get treatment, the worse their condition will become.
Ways to Normalize Talking About Mental Health
Talking openly about mental health is a way to normalize mental health conversations and should be done more often, just as we talk about physical illness or harm.
Educating oneself and others is another way to normalize the mental health conversation.
Being conscious and sensitive about what one is saying when talking about mental health is important so that negative ideas about mental health are avoided.
Benefits of Open Conversation About Mental Health
Talking to a therapist about mental health struggles helps to normalize them just as talking to a doctor about any physical struggles is normalized.
Talking to loved ones about mental health struggles in a direct way helps to minimize negative views and taboos surrounding mental health.
Doing research about the different mental disorders help to increase understanding that they are all different, just as physical ailments are.
Sharing informed information about mental disorders helps to reduce stigmas by reducing misconceptions.
Speaking about mental disorders in a positive way helps to reduce stigmas and allows for a more comfortable conversation about mental health.