Mental Health Awareness

By Emma Andrew

When someone has a cold, you know it. They are coughing, fatigued, plagued by a perpetually runny nose, and overall under the weather. It is difficult to hide a physical ailment, as its symptoms are usually visible. If a person falls ill it is easy to give them a pass with work, school, their attitude, because the visual manifestation of it is enough to garner sympathy. But what bout when someone acquires a mental illness? What about when they are seemingly normal on the outside, but slowly withdraw from their loved ones? What about when they neglect the activities they once loved? What about when their grades or work performance begins to fall? Do we automatically attribute sympathy to these circumstances? Or do judgement and disdain prevail for the perceived laziness we are witnessing? It takes a trained eye to know when someone is struggling mentally, and this sort of illness can be even more difficult for some to go through than a physical ailment.

For those who have suffered through a mental illness, they may know that this is one of the

scariest and most difficult times in their life. When you are at war with your mind peace cannot be found anywhere unless you find an escape from yourself, which is oftentimes found in an unhealthy manner. Sometimes you are so far down the tunnel in your mind that the light at the end begins to disappear, and reality distorts right in front of your eyes. What once was up is now down, and truth’s line becomes blurred with lies. Mental illness can be debilitating, yet is often brushed under the rug. The stigma against it can cause those who suffer from it to mask their pain, often acting seemingly normal. The signs of a mental illness can be subtle for many who are still trying to live their life and function in their daily routines.

Until the stigma is fully removed and we are taught to look for the signs of mental illness in

ourselves and others, many people will suffer right under our noses. Especially with the

COVID19 pandemic at our feet, we must be cognisant of our mental health. Our lives have been interrupted by this virus in a way largely unprecedented in our time. Social distancing has left us isolated and separated. As humans are social creatures, this change in our lifestyles has become unwelcome and led many to fear the rise of depression and the worsening of other individuals plagued by mental illness.

Technology could be our both our saviour and our demise during this time. It allows for us to be in contact with those who we love while also dishing us the unhealthy side effects of social media. Learning to walk the fine line of utilizing technology for the good while limiting our dependence upon it is a precarious skill to learn. The incessant comparison that social media provides is a perfect storm for unhappiness and obsession. Humans are visual creatures, and the singularity of the visual aspects of apps such as Instagram are highly addictive and deeply penetrated into the psyche of many who use the app. However, a life inside social media, although it may be reflective of reality, is not life but rather a placebo for what true joy and social interaction should be.

It is in our best interest to distance ourselves from our phones and remain in the present. The

peace of mind we often seek lies in the simplicity of life, the little things that bring tiny moments of happiness to our minds. The wider our minds roam, the more problems we will encounter. During a time of high stress, isolation, and fear, look out for those around you. While the world is battling a virus, many of us are already battling a darkness in our minds. Draw your concern to your innermost circles. Ask your friends how they are doing, call your mom every now and then, check up on those who you love. We cannot change the world at the moment, but we can change the lives of those who we love. And that will be just as important.