Mental health is a significant issue; there is a stigma that surrounds it and as a community, we could better address mental health issues.

Historically, mental illness was first seen as a “gift from the devil,” and people diagnosed as mentally ill were experimented on and tortured, similar to the accused witches in the the Salem Witch Trials. This gave mental illness a stigma and it was seen as “bad.”

Unfortunately, this is often still the case today. Having a mental illness is not something people like to admit. Perhaps they’re afraid depression or anxiety will make them look weak or make other people afraid of them. They are not scary; they are just not well. We need to create a community where people can ask for help instead of hiding their illness.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), only over the past 80 years has mental illness been looked at as a serious issue that people can’t control. Before then, bullying was one of the biggest problems for people with mental health issues. They were seen as wanting attention.

According to statistics from NAMI, one in five Americans suffer from some sort of mental illness. One in 10 young people experience major depression and anxiety. One in 25 Americans live with serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, etc. That’s a lot of people who could feel alienated and stigmatized. can create feelings of shame and lead to poorer mental health.

If more people were informed on the actual facts surrounding mental health, it would not be so difficult for them to understand and accept. Research done by NAMI shows ways to get rid of mental health stigma. They say that by informing and educating people at a young age about mental health, people would understand it better, leading to greater acceptance.

Rocky also has a Wellness Club that meets every Wednesday at lunch in room 309. This group is led by Ms. Glick and Ms. Quiros. Anyone is welcome to come. According to Adreayn Torrez, Americorp rep, who frequently helps and attends, describes the meetings like this, “Everyone coming together and sitting down; we check in with everybody and make sure everyone is doing okay. What we do in a meeting typically depends on the season. Right now we are working on things for Adopt a Family and in the spring we will do a 5k for the community. This group is all about mental wellness and physical wellness. Anyone is welcome.”

Students can ask Betsy Flowers to speak with the wellness center about mental health concerns. She can also help with coping strategies and mindfulness if students visit the wellness center.

Mental health is not a communicable disease, you can’t catch it. It’s a psychological problem that a person cannot control. If everyone could be better informed on the causes and treatment for mental health issues, stereotypes around mental health would begin to disappear. Read books, take classes, and talk to people who are dealing with mental health concerns about what you can do to get more involved in helping to remove the stigma attached to mental health issues.

If you or someone you know is suffering from mental health issues and need someone to talk to please contact these numbers:

National Suicide Hotline: 1-800-273-8255

Safe 2 Tell: 1-877-542-7233

Sources: www.nimh.nih.gov/health/trials/index.shtml.  https://www.nami.org/stigmafree