Mental Health Discrimination - What are the facts?

Breaking the Stigma

Today I am diverting from the usual travel blog. I have been in many conversations lately where I people close to me, and myself included, have struggled with signs of depression or anxiety. Unfortunately, the stigma that is created around mental health makes it extremely difficult for people to seek proper medical help. The following phrases seem to be the most popular: "snap out of it", "there are more serious things in the world to be depro about", "why don't you smile?", "you can choose to be happy if you try".

While the people who generally make these comments mostly have good intentions, they often do not realize the consequences. I know someone who has been trying to seek medical help for years, but is being discriminated against by her family who believe that she is looking for attention. These occurrences are extremely problematic. A recent report by the World Health Organisation [http://www.who.int] show that by 2030 depression will be the 2nd highest cause of the disease in middle income countries. The report also shows that the global suicide rate has increased by 60%, and 90% of people who do commit suicide have a diagnosable mental disorder. Moreover, 70% of people with a mental health disorder experience discrimination.

What I want to leave with you today is this: check in with your loved ones. Know that its OK to seek help. If you can make a doctor's appointment for the flu you can do the same for checking out symptoms of depression or other mental health issues. Do not discriminate, please. And lastly, try your best to always be kind. The links below are very informative to those who do not understand mental diseases or those who do not know how to seek help. Here's a tip for you - if you google 'depression symptoms' you will have immediate access to a free mental health assessment. I hope this helps.