Do you know what mental illness is?
I myself question if I am educated on the topic of mental illnesses however this word describes such a wide variety of mental health conditions and disorders which can affect your mood, behaviour and thinking and although we can categorise these all can be painful in their own way making them just as harmful as any other illness. Can anyone describe every physical illness, it’s the same for mental illnesses, the same illness can affect everyone differently.
Signs and symptoms of mental illness can vary, depending on the disorder, circumstances and other factors. Mental illness symptoms can affect emotions, thoughts and behaviours.
There are many causes of mental disorders. Your genes and family history may play a role. Your life experiences, such as stress or a history of abuse, may also matter.
In schools, we should get taught the importance of always putting our health first, whether that be mental or physical. Being educated on mental health would better equip young minds for the future helping them identify issues with peers as well as themselves, in addition, educators will be better equipped when a student is struggling. Although you may not deal with mental illness yourself your most likely to encounter it in your lifetime by helping someone else through their stressful moments and challenges: making it a vital subject to be educated on.
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for ages 10-24, with 90% of them affected by an underlying mental illness. Having not been taught about the harsh reality of mental illness – how bleak, intimidating and isolated it feels – children won’t understand the excitement of not having a care in the world enjoying life to the extreme.
If you can't see it, then society leads us to believe it's not there. We need to stop having this mindset and learn to communicate with others to understand them and ask questions if we don’t understand or don’t know how to approach the situation. This is the best way to learn and be respectful. Just make sure you are not making them uncomfortable.
