Ten years ago, mental health was seen as something that may be felt but never mentioned. If people needed help, they would go to their doctor and be prescribed pills. It was not something that was openly discussed, and often felt like a secret that must be kept by the sufferer. Nowadays, people with mental health issues are able to talk more openly and freely about their experiences. Attitudes are certainly moving in the right direction, but they still have a long way to go. There are several reasons why this is happening now.
Celebrities
Celebrities are always at the forefront of everything. They wear the latest fashions, get photographed at the latest places and influence others massively. Now they are stepping forward and talking about their mental health issues. Everyone from Prince Harry to Kristen Bell have had problems that they have shared. This has led to mental health issues becoming much more open and talked about. It also means that people have someone to relate to, and they feel less alone. Celebrities have done a lot to bring mental health issues into the mainstream and long may it continue.
Mainstream Acceptance
It used to be that people couldn’t talk about mental health issues from fear of stigma or judgement. For example, if you had ever been prescribed mental health medication, this would stop you from joining the armed forces. People did not want to be upfront with potential employers or while business networking as they feared that their careers would be over if they did. Now, this is no longer the case, and people are not afraid to step forward.
In the past, mental health issues could stop you from getting the most basic things, such as life insurance. These days, there are companies who will arrange life insurance for you regardless of your mental health condition. You can use a site like I’m Insured to search the market and find the best available mental health life insurance at the most affordable prices. It is no longer necessary to act as if mental health issues don’t exist.
Changes in Therapy
People are moving away from using prescription drugs to treat mental health problems. These can be addictive and can lead to the sufferer exchanging one mental health issue for another. Dealing with problems without the use of drugs gives people self confidence and when they have that, it makes them more able to discuss their issues.
Therapeutic approaches such as CBT are becoming more mainstream now, and there are even phone apps that can be used to breathe through a panic attack and aid anxiety and depression.
There is still a long way to go so that mental health issues can be talked about in the same way as physical health issues. However, the stigma is finally fading, and people are becoming more confident about discussing mental health. Changes in how the illnesses are viewed and the treatment available to sufferers has done a lot help to end mental health taboos.