I was getting ready for work in the afternoon, when I suddenly聽heard my Hakuna Matata ringtone go off. I was expecting one of my parents to be calling because they have yet to figure out this whole 鈥渢exting thing,鈥 and let鈥檚 be serious, who still calls their friends? I picked up my phone and saw my friend鈥檚 number on the caller ID. I picked up and asked her what鈥檚 up? Turns out she was nauseous, dizzy, and had a massive headache. I drove her to the hospital to get checked out and later she was diagnosed with vertigo.
She called me because she needed help. I鈥檓 not a doctor, heck; I鈥檓 not even a good driver. But she needed someone to be there for her and I surely wasn鈥檛 going to tell a nauseous, dizzy person 鈥淚 can鈥檛, I鈥檓 getting ready for work鈥, 鈥渁re you sure you鈥檙e not just hungry?鈥, or 鈥渕aybe if you leave now you can catch the bus鈥. No decent human being would ever say that. So why isn鈥檛 that our usual response to those who tell us that they are feeling down for no reason? Or that they are so stressed out that they can鈥檛 sleep? Now I know that most of us aren鈥檛 psychologists or therapist but 鈥渋t鈥檚 all in your head鈥 or 鈥渏ust get over it鈥 should not be our response. You don鈥檛 tell a friend that just broke his arm to 鈥渟leep it off鈥, although you would probably try to write something witty and embarrassing on their cast afterwards like 鈥渃rash test dummy鈥, or my personal favourite 鈥済ive me a break鈥 (if you didn鈥檛 laugh at that one, I鈥檓 sorry, we can鈥檛 be friends).
I鈥檝e been working as a Mental Health Research and Implementation Assistant. That鈥檚 just a fancy way of saying that I Google stuff for money. Pretty sweet gig, huh? And yes, I鈥檝e gotten desperate enough to look past the third page of search results. I鈥檝e researched things pertaining to mental health policies, illnesses, helplines, community resources,聽 health models, inspirational videos, different campaigns and projects, cool stories, and pictures of puppies. (That last one was just for pure personal interest.) Most of my research has led me to the same conclusion; the problem with the mental health stigma is us, within society!
The second you plopped out of the womb, BAM, along with the placenta and your goo-covered, 7 pounds and 12 ounce body, also came out the stigma of mental health. We should be able to openly talk about any sort of struggles we have whether it鈥檚 a physical, mental, or even spiritual. To find out more about mental health and how you can get help or help a friend, visit聽Redeemer鈥檚 Mental Health page!
www.亚洲色 the author: John is a recent graduate of Redeemer’s Health Sciences program (Class of 2016) and led the Health Care Club while a student.