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The Brave Voices Who Are Helping Dissolve The Stigma Around Mental Health

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Mental health in the U.S. is not in a great place right now. One piece of evidence of this reality is that the suicide rate is rising, according to a new study by the CDC. From 1999 to 2014, in the U.S. it rose by 24%, and it’s risen in almost every group of people in the U.S. The greatest increase in the last 15 years was in women, especially those aged 45-64, and, most devastatingly, in very young women, aged 10-14. As the CDC points out, “Suicide is increasing against the backdrop of generally declining mortality.” Of course, an increasing suicide rate is a sign of mental health, not physical health. So to understand its causes and solutions, we have to look in very different places from those related to physical health.

Another staggering statistic is the number of people in this country who are living with mental health disorders. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 43 million Americans are suffering from mental illnesses of any description now or in the last year. And those are just the ones the powers-that-be know about. Another huge number of people probably have issues that they’re not getting help with, perhaps because they’re afraid to, or not simply educated about the symptoms or treatment options, or for any number of other reasons.

Luckily, there’s a growing number of organizations and individuals who are trying to help open up the conversation about mental health in general, and encouraging everyone to be less fearful about talking about what’s going on in our minds.

Dissolving the stigma around mental health has been an effort by an increasing number of organizations and individuals in recent history. It’s important to point out that there's more than one form of stigma–there are the ones that are “out there,” imposed by organizations, institutions, laws and convention. The other side of that is “self-stigma,” which is the one which we impose on ourselves, when we’re too embarrassed to come out to those around us as someone with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or any other mental health issue.

Oddly, self-stigma may be the hardest to surpass. But there are some interesting new efforts to help people do this. First Lady Michelle Obama has been a big proponent of changing the conversation around mental health, and improving access to care, through the Change Direction initiative (see below for links). And First Lady of New York City Chirlane McCray has made mental health for New Yorkers a priority, helping launch the Mental Health Roadmap campaign, which aims to open up the conversation about mental health and help New Yorkers find treatment. Britain seems to be a little ahead of us in the number of organizations and the efforts that are encouraging a new and freer kind of discussion about the prevalence and mental health, but we’re not far behind.

And luckily, and maybe most centrally to the discussion, there are some very brave and insightful people who are taking matters into their own hands–and these numbers seem to be growing steadily. People dealing with anxiety and depression and other mental health disorders are increasingly using social media to tell their stories, and in doing so, creating a new kind of camaraderie and support among people living with similar issues. The attitude is to put it right out there, in raw and powerful images and personal stories, without shame or apology. And perhaps others seeing these private-made-public struggles will be moved to do the same.

Deborah Serani, a psychologist in New York, who’s literally written the book on depression, Living with Depression, says she believes that these individual efforts are hugely important to helping change the attitude toward mental health. Anything we can do to bring mental health out into the open without embarrassment is a good thing. “I also applaud the stories of celebrities because they take the shame out of living with mental health issues for the general public,” she says. “Years ago when Rolling Stone did a story on Bruce Springsteen, and he shared that he was in treatment for many years from depression and thoughts of suicide, I had an influx of young men calling for psychotherapy. His disclosure helped…  along the lines of ‘Hey, Springsteen was depressed, and he reached out for treatment. I can too.’”

When celebrities share their mental health struggles, it definitely raises awareness and comfort levels–but social media gives individuals the power to make their stories go viral, too. Patrick Corrigan has been studying and giving talks about mental health stigma for a long time, academically; he has a lot of personal experience with it, too, which he's been very open about. He believes that people sharing their personal stories, of both struggle and recovery, with others is one of the central methods to help pick away at the stigma. Among other things, he’s involved with organizations like the HOP program, which helps people figure out how to “come out” and whom to come out to.

One of the lingering issues may also be the language around mental health disorders. “I like ‘mental health challenges,’” says Corrigan. “But when I was speaking at a conference once and used that phrase, a man came up to him at the end and said, ‘I don’t have mental health challenges–I have a mental illness!’" Some people have started using the phrase, "people with lived experience," he adds, and there are others that have varying degrees of popularity. The language that we settle on may also help drive the conversation in different and better ways.

Whatever phrase one uses, hopefully as more people begin to believe the statistics–that millions of other people are also dealing with the very same things–having a mental health issue will feel less the exception and, if not the rule, then at least a pretty common occurrence. Below are some great new efforts to get people’s stories out there, from organizations and from individuals. If you’re dealing with any mental health issue that you feel needs attention, reach out to friends, family or a mental health professional. And if you’re feeling very bold, share your own story on social media, so that others may be more likely to get help themselves, and feel a little less alone.

Depression

Anxiety

Campaigns for Mental Health Awareness

For teens

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