Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, our Threads of Change podcast for May centers on that theme. Specifically, we discuss why it’s important to talk about mental health issues, and why putting mental health on par with physical health is necessary.

Even though we have made strides in how our culture approaches mental health, there still is some stigma attached to talking about it. People worry that discussing their mental health issues publicly might impact employment opportunities or cause concern about their ability to do their job successfully. There is suspicion that anyone who admits to dealing with a mental health issue will be labeled “crazy” or “unstable.”

For some people, there may also be a vestige of the attitude that required people with mental health challenges to be hidden in the attic, people who weren’t discussed for fear of judgment or shame. So, for many, a reasonable question might be why should we talk about mental health issues at all?

Benefits of Openly Discussing Mental Health

First of all, talking about mental health and mental illness helps reduce the stigma that can surround it. Stigmas like discrimination; fear; lack of understanding of challenges; bullying, or physical or emotional violence; or the loneliness that comes with feeling that others don’t understand are common things that those with mental health issues face.

Perhaps the biggest result of the stigma people can face is that many are reluctant to get the help they need because they’re afraid to be judged or shamed. Nearly 20% of Americans will experience a mental health challenge in their lifetime but, currently, only half of that number will seek help. Untreated mental illness can have serious consequences, and the longer a problem goes untreated, the more serious those consequences become. Talking about mental health makes it easier and more normal to ask for assistance.

Another reason to talk about mental health is education. Because there is a stigma around mental health challenges, many people don’t know much about it or how it can present itself. Talking about experiences with anxiety, depression, bi-polar disorder, or whatever mental health challenge is being managed can help others understand the challenge and how it can be managed.

We understand that cancer and a cold are very different things and are at least generally familiar with how to treat each illness, but we don’t have the same familiarity when it comes to mental illness. The more you understand what your friend, family member, co-worker, or neighbor deals with, the less you’ll stigmatize them and the mental health challenge they’re managing.

We also need to be aware of the way we talk about mental health and mental illness. For instance, when some people talk about a person with a mental health challenge, they may describe that person as “suffering” from their illness. People who are actively managing such a challenge may choose to use less loaded words such as “dealing with” or “managing.”

It’s a simple thing, but changing the wording can also change how people perceive the mental illness. The same goes for the ways in which mental health conditions can be used as adjectives to describe negative behavior or situations. A mental illness is simply an illness. A lot of our perception of that illness comes from the ways in which we talk about it.

Another benefit of talking about mental health, trauma, or addiction issues is that telling those stories can help the storyteller understand their experiences and perhaps learn from them. For some people, telling their story can also be cathartic or have a redemptive quality, giving a painful situation an alternative meaning by using it to help others. Sharing stories can also give the teller another view of experiences they had only seen from the inside in the past.

Reciting the narrative of past traumas or struggles and acknowledging what has been overcome or achieved can provide another perspective. Often, those telling their stories discover they’re proud of how far they’ve come and the knowledge and understanding they’ve gained.

Mental health challenges can also be very isolating, so talking about them offers a chance to make connections. It could be in one-on-one or group therapy. It could be by writing a blog or an essay or going on a podcast. The venue through which the discussion happens isn’t really the important part. What is important is that talking about the challenges faced makes it easier to connect with people who are facing similar challenges.

Making connections allows people to share experience and resources and can also help reduce the sense of isolation and loneliness that many people facing mental health challenges feel. Knowing someone else is going through a similar struggle can make your struggle seem more normal.

Respecting Individual Stories

Finally, while talking about your mental health challenges is a good thing and can be helpful, please be aware that everyone has different comfort levels for what they reveal. Not everyone is comfortable telling their story publicly and may choose to confide only in close friends or family members.

Other people may realize that the story they’ve been telling is not their story now and decide that they want to change their narrative. Part of normalizing the discussion of mental health is also allowing everyone to find their own comfort level with how much they reveal and to whom they reveal it.

Mental Health Resources

While the following list serves as a small representation of mental health resources, it by no means is exhaustive and should not be used as medical advice. Please do your own research and reach out to a medical professional: