Let?s have an honest talk about mental health

We?ve written a lot lately about the local Mental Health Institute, as we should, as it?s an important issue, not only to our community, but also to the state as a whole. But have we really talked about mental health?

We?ve talked about the loss of jobs, the loss of an acute care facility in the southeastern quadrant of the state and the loss of support for the patients. And though this has sparked discussion about mental health, we haven?t even scratched the surface of that conversation; a conversation we desperately need to have.

In 2012, the National Institute of Mental Health estimated 43.7 million adults, or 18.6 percent of the U.S. population aged 18 or older in the U.S., were suffering from some type of mental illness. The Center for Disease Control, Prevention?s Nation Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data shows that 13 percent of children ages 8 ? 15 have been diagnosed with a mental disorder; the most common being attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

While statistics and data are important for understanding mental health and starting that conversation, I think relatable, personal stories are ways that help us truly understand how mental health disorders affect a population. Because, at least for me, a number will never talk the way a person does.

I remember when I was in elementary school there was this girl, a few years older than me. I remember sitting at my little desk and see her wandering the halls crying. She was described as being ?unbalanced?, which was said in a hushed tone and a raised eyebrow. She was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder. That too was said with a hushed tone and raised eyebrow.

When I went to college, I became depressed. I?d had some health issues and lost a friend in a car accident. When I couldn?t stop crying and getting out of bed to go to class became a battle every morning, my friend insisted I see someone. I was appalled. How dare she think I needed help? I wasn?t crazy or weak; I was just going through something.

I eventually went to see a counselor and did a stint in group therapy. Looking back, it helped a lot, but at the time I was so ashamed; I couldn?t see the benefit. I lied to my friends about where I was and what I was doing and didn?t tell my parents until years later that I had seen a therapist. To my shock, they weren?t upset or disappointed in me for reaching out to a stranger. In fact, they were happy I had sought help, proud even.

But why was I so ashamed or embarrassed? It?s because mental health was still a hushed issue.

Besides personal testimonies, I think one of the best ways to ignite discussion about mental health, from the home to capital hill, is what our entertainment industry has to say about it. We live in a society where celebrities and entertainment ? like cinema and television ? guide our conversation and have a way of breaking down social stigma around subjects. Think about television, a sitcom or a drama, we invite these characters into our homes every week and spend anywhere from half an hour to an hour with them. Listening to their stories, reveling in their triumph and wallowing in their sorrow.

Shows like Orange Is the New Black are beginning to start conversations about a bevy of topics, ranging from prison life, to transgender people and to mental health.

Emmy-winning actress Uzo Aduba recently gave an interview on how the show and her character Suzanne ?Crazy Eyes? Warren is helping to bring this conversation to the forefront.

?I think the next terrain that is beginning to provoke conversation is with mental health- a topic that is often ignored ? but I?ve started to see it often bubbling up a lot more. I think the range of mental health ? the scope of it is so large ? I think that it becomes overwhelming for people often to know how to tackle, but people are now interested in provoking those types of conversations (thanks to Orange Is the New Black),? Aduba said in a recent interview while promoting the Season 2 DVD release of Orange Is the New Black.

So let?s talk about mental health and pull the stigma away from this topic; because just because we can?t see those wounds doesn?t mean they?re not there and they?re not important.