Luckily these past few years have done wonders to raise awareness for the pressing issue that is mental health. If you didn’t know already, Mental Health Awareness Week happened on May 1-7th. The week helps teens become more aware of mental health, at least by a little bit.
First off, what is a mental illness?
If you Google it, the definition that comes up is:
Mental illness refers to a wide range of mental health conditions — disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behaviour. –Mayo Clinic
Despite the good intentions of Mental Health Awareness Week, many of us don’t know the issues surrounding mental health well enough to have meaningful conversations about them.
Teens these days are constantly not taking mental health seriously, but the truth is experiencing a mental illness should not be any different from experiencing a physical illness. They can be treated and helped, but only if people understand.
Mental illnesses affect day-to-day lives: school, work, family, relationships, etc. We need to step up and face the problem and give help to those who need it.
Types of mental illnesses include:
- Anxiety disorder
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Bipolar disorder
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Post-tramautic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Schizophrenia
You’ve probably heard people make jokes about these topics, or not take them seriously. I think that teens need to understand that these illnesses aren’t something to take lightly. There are people on this planet who have been battling mental illnesses for years, and making them into a small thing isn’t okay.
Mental illnesses should be talked about. People with mental illnesses should be able to reach out for help without being made fun of, or accused of “faking it.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with a mental illness, you can contact Distress Centre Calgary, which is located at:
Suite 300, 1010-8 Avenue SW, Calgary, AB T2P 1J2
or, you could call them at:
(403) 266-4357
Please always know that you are not alone, and there is a solution to every problem.
