Natalie Barletta – Special to the Southern News
Some people say that having good mental health is perhaps more important than our physical. When your mental health fails, then all else does. It’s unlike physical health where there is an easy set of diagnosis based on the symptoms that you have, and then a set form of treatment. Within a couple of weeks, you’re cured of whatever ailment that you suffered from. However mental health issues can take a lot longer than that, ranging from a few months to a lifetime to overcome.
In the movie/book ‘A Beautiful Mind,’ we watch Russell Crowe play famous mathematician John Nash. During his rise to fame, symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia had also arisen. They worsened to the point where he was at a danger to himself and others. Schizophrenia took about 30 years of John Nash’s life, which is a sad thing because it’s time that he could have used to make even better discoveries.
However, life for the young prodigy wasn’t easy. Throughout his educational experience, he was the constant source of ridicule from his peers. Although he was smart, he was constantly called a “freak” or “weirdo.” He didn’t have many friends, because of the fact that he was seen as weird.
John Nash’s story isn’t uncommon to the mentally ill. In our society over the years, we have become more and more accepting to those who have suffered mental illness. Psychology has quickly become one of the bigger majors at colleges. In fact, psychology is ranks as one of the top five most popular degrees awarded. It’s safe to say that we’ve surpassed the days of the Sigmund Freud era.
Although we’ve come a long way from the Freudian era, we’ve got a long way to go. We have surpassed the days of dream analysis, the asylum, and hypnosis. We’ve entered a more accepting society of people actually sitting down to talk about these serious topics, and counseling becoming more and more common amongst teenagers and young adults. In previous generations, such a thing has become unheard of.
With that being said, mental illness is still seen as being as a bad thing. In reality, it’s the same as being diagnosed with some sort of physical ailment. The only difference is that the treatment isn’t as simple as putting a band-aid on it. It requires soul searching, and a lot of time and effort. Something that you really can’t sleep off.
I believe that we should applaud those who aren’t afraid to say that ‘I need help,’ because it’s such a hard thing to admit. We worry that people are going to perceive us as crazy, and those who can stand up and say ‘I have a problem, I need help’ are those who just want to be the best for themselves. People such as Demi Lovato make it known that it’s okay to ask for help, because she promotes positive thinking through her music, and recent book ‘Staying Strong-365 Days a Year.’ With positive role models in the media, we realize two things. One, it’s okay to admit that we have a problem. Two, with the right help and resources, we can get through it.
What can we do as a society to begin the process of total acceptance for those who suffer with mental illness? We can begin by simply having an open mind. We can learn not to judge those who are different, until we have heard their story. By not being so quick to judge, we quickly realize that there’s more to people that meets the naked eye. And slowly, but surely, we can evolve into a society that is accepting, and open to these sorts of things.
