One of the biggest barriers and challenges for people to receive treatment and care for mental health struggles is the common societal stigma that is strongly associated with such services and needs. If a person simply speaks out the words “mental health” or “struggles with mental health” it is highly likely and common that feelings such as shame, embarrassment, fear of being labeled, and intense distress are likely to follow. Our Western society has typically viewed vulnerability and verbalizing normal painful feelings and internal experiences as weak and that one should know how to put oneself back together. We have all heard different phrases from people when we struggle such as: “just move on, get over it, get it together, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, move forward, the answer is (fill in the blank).” Such phrases, while they can be well-intended, typically perpetuate masking the reality of the internal pain one may be experiencing. Sadly, it can also lead one to feel even more alone and adhere to the societal, family, or internal rule to keep such painful internal experiences to themselves. This phenomenon in our society creates even more barriers to a person seeking any form of support or treatment for mental health challenges. As a result of the stigma that is strongly attached to mental health challenges, not only do individuals have to deal with the stress associated with their mental health concern, they also have to face the high amounts of stress and stigma that are attached to seeking help or support. Unsurprisingly, most people avoid this type of stress.
According to Mental Health America (MHA), in 2022, more than half of adults who have experienced mental health challenges did not receive any form of treatment, a total of over 27 million people. When compared to a 2001 study by the World Health Organization stating that 1 in 4 people will struggle with some sort of mental health challenge at some point in their lives, it is clear that many people are struggling and not many people are seeking out help. The irony is both of these studies show mental health challenges are very real and present while most avoid any type of service, support, or formal treatment for such concerns. In 2019, according to the same study mentioned above by MHA, nearly 50 million American adults experienced challenges with mental health during that year. As the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, rates of anxiety and depression only continued to increase according to a WHO study. Alongside all of this being noted in this blog, it can be reassuring to know these studies tell us this: mental health struggles are normal for most everyone, and so is the hesitancy to reach out for help. Many, if not all people, at some point in their lives can or will experience a time with higher amounts of suffering, painful feelings, grief, depression, anxiety, panic, reactions associated with past experiences or trauma, etc. Furthermore, it is of my opinion that the societal expectation to not talk or allow space to struggle with these painful experiences (and furthermore seek out help), only continues to perpetuate cycles of distress and pain. Moreover, this cycle has been vastly counterintuitive to helping people move toward lives enriched with purpose, wellness, and meaning. In the closing of my first post, it is my hope to simply spread this message: human suffering and challenges with mental health at some point in life are normal; the idea of seeking help is commonly stigmatized; seeking and engaging with help can be incredibly beneficial and has shown to help.
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AuthorCorbin Henningsen, LCSW is a licensed psychotherapist in the Oklahoma City and Edmond, OK areas. He enjoys helping people who struggle with depression, anxiety, and traumatic memories. He has worked as a therapist since 2016 and has operated a robust and growing private practice since 2020. He loves to help his clients through a down-to-earth approach that helps them make sense of their internal pain while taking reasonable steps toward values, meaning, and purpose. Archives
June 2024
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