Desensitisation Of Mental Illness

The 21st century is seeing accelerating acceptance and understanding of mental health disorders thanks to discussions of these topics becoming more prevalent in mainstream media. Thankfully, this is contributing to the destigmatisation of such conditions, however, there is a growing risk that society is becoming desensitised to mental illness which may have devastating consequences.

On the one hand, the normalisation of mental health issues is undoubtedly positive as it has led to increased education and communication surrounding these topics. People feel free to discuss their struggles on social media platforms and have successfully created beautiful communities that provide valuable information and remind people suffering that they are not alone. Additionally, this results in advocacy for better mental health resources and support systems as well as encouraging more people to seek help and be aware of people who may need their help.

However, it is possible that growing exposure to these issues is resulting in people unintentionally forgetting the seriousness of clinical disorders which are frequently colloquialised in daily language. Increasingly, phrases such as "I'm so OCD about cleanliness" or "they’re acting bipolar today" are being flippantly used. While this may seem harmless and even humorous, there may be significant implications for people struggling with mental health issues.

Casually referring to debilitating mental illnesses such as OCD or bipolar disorder contributes to a trivialization of mental health struggles which not only perpetuates harmful and inaccurate stereotypes- such as OCD being about really liking tidiness- but also belittles the severity of these conditions.

Furthermore, there is a risk that this diminishes the experience of people battling mental illnesses and may lead to people feeling like they are ‘overreacting’, subsequently creating barriers that prevent people from seeking the help they need and deserve. The severity of this is emphasised in devastating statistics released by the charity Calm revealing that only 1 in 3 people in the UK suffering from mental illness seek help.

Therefore, it is important that we remain vigilant about our use of language and avoid adopting dismissive tones when discussing mental health. Further action that can be taken to combat desensitisation includes small acts like correcting friends and family who may be misinformed and educating yourself and others.  

Overall, while it is crucial that we normalise mental illness as 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem every year in England, we must simultaneously remain cautious of blurring the fine line between normalisation and desensitisation.