It’s World Mental Health Day… Again
On World Mental Health Day, you’ll see a lot of reminders of what almost everybody knows: mental health is important! So what do we need to be made aware of, exactly? Here’s a hypothetical conversation between two friends about this very question. This year, rather than just spreading the word about mental health, let’s take a practical look at what we can actually do when it comes to our emotional and relational well-being.
John: It’s World Mental Health Day, but nobody seems to care.
Frank: Why do you say that?
John: Well, I made this post on social media to promote awareness, but it hasn’t gotten any traction.
Frank: Well, isn’t everybody kind of aware at this point?
John: Go on.
Frank: Everybody and their mother talk about how bad mental health is nowadays. “Anxiety is on the rise,” “Depression is on the rise,” “Addiction is on the rise.” I mean, we’re all pretty aware it’s an issue.
John: That’s true. You do hear a lot of people saying that.
Frank: So what exactly do you want them to be aware of?
John: I guess I want them to know that there are things they can do.
Frank: What kind of things?
John: Things they can do to help. To help combat the rise of mental health issues. Since we all know how bad things are right now, we should be able to all come together to work on it, right?
Frank: I’m not so sure.
John: Why not?
Frank: Well everyone agrees on the problems, but not everyone agrees on the causes of those problems. Everyone’s got their own theory for how we ended up here. I mean, especially in an election year, everybody is pointing the finger and blaming this group or that group for the state of mental health.
John: Wait, hold on, that’s not totally true. We all agree that social media and technology use is part of the problem.
Frank: Weren’t you just annoyed that more people weren’t engaging your social media post?
John: You’ve got me there.
Frank: I think you’re setting your sights too high. It all seems a bit abstract.
John: What do you mean?
Frank: I mean, instead of calling on everybody to end world hunger, why don’t you give that hungry person over there a sandwich?
John: I’m not sure I follow.
Frank: Being aware that lots of people are starving in the world is different than being aware that there’s a homeless guy named Todd posted up in the Walmart parking lot.
John: Right.
Frank: We could all be super “aware” that our country is facing these mental health challenges, but unless we’re aware of those challenges in our actual lives, it won’t matter much.
John: So I should reflect and consider my own mental health?
Frank: Yeah, something like that. And you could challenge others to do the same. But I think you should also ask those who know you well for their feedback on your mental health.
John: Like what would I ask?
Frank: You could say to your wife: “Hunny, I’ve been hearing so much about the rise in mental health issues like anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma. Do you notice me struggling with anything like that?”
John: That’s helpful. After all, my wife can usually tell that I’m having an off day before I notice it myself.
Frank: Exactly. We aren’t always the best judge of our own character. We all have our blind spots.
John: But then what do I do to work on those things?
Frank: I think you find people that you trust. After all, not everyone even agrees on what a healthy life looks like. Think about the people you know who seem really healthy to you. Who seem well-adjusted. Maybe you ask them if they’ve dealt with similar issues. Maybe you ask them what’s worked for them. Maybe you ask them to recommend a therapist to talk to.
John: Frank, now that you mention it, you seem really healthy and well-adjusted—
Frank: Whoa, I didn’t mean me!
