Values of Society

As a result of society’s lack of importance about mental health, there is a negative stigma formed around the value of mental health. Mental illnesses are not taken as seriously as other illnesses. Since mental illnesses are inside your head and can’t physically be seen, people don’t realize the effect that mental illnesses have. False beliefs have created so much doubt about mental health that people with mental illnesses are scared to disclose their illness, due to a fear of judgement. When people think of mental illnesses, they think that it’s a result of personal weakness. This makes people fearful when it comes to talking about mental health. Until 1949, there was very little awareness of what mental illnesses were and how to reach out for help. In 1949, the National Association for Mental Health dedicated a month to raise awareness about mental health. Although we have a month dedicated to mental health, society continues to discriminate against people with these illnesses. Discrimination against people with mental illnesses are common and detrimental to people who seek help. If you look up synonyms for mental illnesses on the thesaurus, the first word that pops up is insanity. Associating mental illnesses with insanity is due to the stigma around mental health that society has created. Do you think that there is a stigma around mental health? Why or why not?