Why is mental health so scary?

It's a question we've all thought about at times. Why is mental health so scary? Why, in 2017, are so many people still so afraid to talk? Why is it acceptable for us to suffer in silence? 

There's a stigma that surrounds mental health, one which halts progress and further pushes those who suffer down into the depths. People treat mental health like it's not an illness. They use words like "Why don't you just cheer up?" or "Just be happy!" and that level of ignorance is dangerous. You wouldn't tell a cancer victim to "Get over it" or say "Hey, just don't have cancer!" so why should mental health be any different? 

Mental illnesses are a very, very real thing and those that suffer need help. I know this all too well, but it's scary to tell someone how you feel. It's scary to admit that you just don't want to wake up in the morning. It's scary to cry yourself to sleep at night, feeling like you're worth less than nothing. 

People don't realise the damage their words can do. Sentences that start "why don't you just..." or "can't you..." are almost always derogatory in nature and that's the kind of thing that can break someone who's struggling. It's time that we start showing more support to those who struggle and, if you know someone who struggles with mental illnesses, be supportive. Ask them how they're doing, show an interest in their wellbeing. Make them feel valued. It doesn't take much and that can be the difference between someone falling asleep in tears and falling asleep with a smile on their face. 

Support can make so much difference, one positive comment a day can wash away so much negativity, but that unfortunately works the other way as well. If we can all just take the time to be nice and take a genuine interest in people then so many more people's basic level of happiness could improve. 

There's a particular pressure on young men who suffer with mental illnesses as in our very male-led society (something which gladly changes more and more each year) it's viewed as a weakness to feel sad, rejected and lonely. It goes against the "Alpha Male" outlook to feel down and out, and men get criticised and told to "man up" when things get on top of them and that attitude is poisonous. It further makes someone feel like a let down, like they're not good enough to be here and that's the wrong attitude to take. Our aim should be to help people who struggle, not label them and make them outcasts. Of course there is just as much pressure on the female side of the population too, and no one should ever be made to feel unequal. We're all on this earth together and we should all treat each other the same regardless of where we come from, who we are, what colour skin we have. That's all irrelevant.We're all human beings with the same thoughts and feelings.  

Mental health becomes a more widely recognised issue every year and while things are improving, there is still a lot of ignorance surrounding the subject and unfortunately, the more exposure the subject gains the more we see that ignorance and those negative comments. Change is happening but it's not happening quick enough, so we all need to band together and spread positivity and tell people that suffer that it's going to be okay. We need to encourage and motivate, not belittle and chastise. 

There are many different releases to mental illness and it's important to know how you can help yourself. For me personally, I have two releases that can help me to forget how I feel. Those are music and writing. That's why I'm writing these posts, in a way. Writing helps me to release some of my inner turmoil, be it writing a post for a blog, writing new songs or even writing short stories. I just love to write. 

The other is both playing and listening to music. I know that on Twitter it might seem like I bang on about Enter Shikari, for example, but they're a band which have helped me personally deal with a lot of things. I can get lost in their music and so many of their songs speak to me and their ideals are similar to mine and I love that, because it helps me to feel involved.

Everyone's release is different but it's important to recognise what makes you happy and focus on it, seize it and use it to make yourself stronger. 

So if you know someone out there who suffers with mental illness of any kind, be it depression, anxiety, OCD, agorophobia, panic attacks or anything of a similar nature, take two minutes out of your day to ask them how they're doing and let them know that you care. A little effort and a little care goes a long, long way. 

On a personal level, I'd like to say that if anyone reading this needs help, I am always an open door. Feel free to message me if you need to talk, no matter what the issue. I'll gladly help any one of you if you need it. You can find me on Twitter/Instagram as mbusby993. 

Please seek professional help if you feel you need it. It can do you so much good if you give it the chance. 

Love, always. x