Mental Health Awareness

According to CMHA about fifty percent of the population will have or had mental illness by the age of 40. Canadian Mental Health Association states that about forty-nine percent of people who suffer or have suffered from mental illness have never gone to see a physician. Although, mental illness indirectly affects everyone at some point in their lives there is still excessive stigma. It is due to this stigma that people are reluctant from speaking about it or seeking help. There have been many advances in this field however much more is needed especially awareness targeted to men.

Mental health is very important and should be taken as seriously as physical illness because they are both equally important for our overall health. What is mental illness? Mental illness includes but is not limited to: addiction, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders and obsessive compulsive disorder. The causes of mental illness are very complex and consists of personality, genetics and environmental factors. This being said I spoke to Connor (spreads awareness about Mental Health) regarding causes of depression and anxiety and he says it can be dependent on the person. This means like losing a family member or friend, a bad breakup and going through a traumatic event. How can we cope with anxiety and depression Connor states this also depends on the person but therapy, talking to people, breathing exercises and sometimes taking medications are a few coping mechanisms. Once the world realizes and treats mental illness equally to physical illness more people will be encouraged to seek relief and advice.

For three years (seventeen to nineteen) I was one of the forty-nine percent who didn’t seek help or speak about my illness. I was suffering from an eating disorder and depression. I was always stressed and felt I wasn’t pretty enough because of models and actresses I would see on TV and magazines. This period in my life caused a lot of sadness, loneliness, stress and anxiety. I hid this well from others and myself for the first year and a half but then a few of my friends noticed and tried to help but I wasn’t ready for the help. Constantly seeing models and girls who were much thinner and never seem to gain weight caused so much anger in me that it led to me not loving myself. There were times that certain thoughts crossed my mind but it was thanks to my grandmother and my closet friend that I started to get help. It was scary opening up to a psychiatrist but thanks to him and the support from my grandmother and friend I was able to love myself, realize everyone is unique in their own way and that we all come in different shapes and sizes.

We as people already suffer from mental illness and because of the stigma we often do not seek help. Then comes the year 2020. This was the most unprecedented times and for most it caused emotional and financial instability. In the beginning I was fine because I was recovery from an injury however, I became very stressed and overwhelmed towards the summer months. Work was piling up, I was taking care of my grandmother and teaching my younger cousins their homework. It took me baby steps in order to feel better than I was. I created a balance in my work and personal life so I can overcome the burnout, I started to go for walks again while listening to country music and I began to say no to certain things. We need to remember to always take care of ourselves both mentally and physically because at the end of the day our body and health is our most prized possession.

A quote from one of my favorite athlete/Olympian – “Since that day [I opened up about my emotions], it’s just been so much easier to live and so much easier to enjoy life.” Michael Phelps.