Testing It Up

For most people, being healthy is normally associated with physical well-being. If one is physically fit and not suffering from any lingering physical illness, then one is deemed healthy. There is one other aspect of being healthy, however, that warrants equal attention – mental health. Unfortunately, there are still some cultures and societies – and even certain groups of people – that deem this aspect as taboo.

As we commemorate World Mental Health Day, take the time to remind people to take care of one’s mental health. This can be rather tricky, as mental illnesses are some of the more difficult illnesses to diagnose, due to the lack of physical manifestations that can be associated with it. Then there is the question of acceptance; being able to discern that one may have the symptoms of a mental illness is one thing. Accepting the fact that one may be undergoing depression and actually seeking help and treatment is another thing.

It is unfortunate that there are still people who fail to see that a mental illness can be just as debilitating as diabetes, for example. “It’s all in the mind,” is what some people think, and controlling one’s emotions and depressive tendencies is deemed as something that can easily be done on your own, without the benefit of therapy or professional treatment. Nothing can be further from the truth.

As many as 19 million adults go through depression annually, and depression is but one of the various known mental illnesses, which also include schizophrenia, anxiety disorder and bipolar disorder. Mental illnesses can occur in children as well as in adults and the elderly.

Diagnosis is the first hurdle that needs to be overcome, and it cannot happen without an individual – or a loved one’s – recognition of the symptoms. As part of the observance of World Mental Health Day, there are groups that have organized mental illness screening events, such as the anonymous depression screenings organized at the Boston University.

Tags: mental health, mental health care, mental health treatment, mental illness, world mental health day

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