One of the most astonishing advancements that we have seen in the last 20 years has been the approach which the world has towards mental health issues. In the past many of us were guilty of ignoring symptoms, not giving enough importance to this aspect of medicine and in truth, talking about mental health was often considered taboo. We have all heard stories about those with depression being told to ‘get on with it’ or that they are too sensitive, awful things to say but many of us were blinded by ignorance. We are now living in a world where mental health is almost considered equal to physical health and whilst there is still a little way to go before that happens, we have made enormous strides in a very short space of time. So how has this happened? Let’s take a look.
New Approaches
Many mental health organization have taken a new approach to treating mental health which is all about inclusivity and through reaching out for support. If you look at the Amare Global reviews for example, a community-based hospital which treats those with mental health, you will see that it is a mixed bag of people who have been helped by this, as well as many without mental health issues who have had their eyes opened.
High Profile
Another great step change in our attitudes towards mental health has been the fact that many high profile people and celebrities have been speaking out about issues like depression. Some people are affected by it and choose to use their powerful voice for good, people such as Prince William in the UK for example has been very vocal on this front and his support for mental health charities has been exceptional. Other high profile individuals have also opened up about their own battles with anxiety, depression, paranoia and other mental health issues, which has given a voice to those who were too afraid to speak about it. When this happens it encourages more ‘average’ citizens to open up as they feel that if a large public figure can do it in front of the world, that they can too.
Shock Factor
Sadly a big reason as to why we have started to open up a dialogue about mental health is that we have been shocked into it after the deaths or suicides of some high profile figures. In 2018 alone we lost singers Chester Bennington and Chris Cornell to depression-related suicide, and this was something which really did shock the world, especially given that they ‘seemed fine’. There are many more who have sadly lost their battles with depression and this has promoted more people to look inside themselves and try to better understand those who are suffering.
As we said at the top, there is still a long way to go but we have moved forward a great deal in the last two decades, long may it continue.
