A couple weeks ago, I was in the car driving home from practice when I heard a doctor come on the radio who was talking during a “mental health minute.” For 60 seconds, she voiced her concerns about mental health in teens and adults and how social media largely impacts children’s brains. I don’t know about you, but I’ve heard that many times from my parents, my school, and commercials advertising against social media companies. I’m not saying that mental health isn’t important; it is. Anxiety, depression, and suicide are only increasing in teenagers, and the stats have hit an all time high. But when the industry continuously directs attention away from those who are seriously mentally ill, it becomes a problem. According to DJ Jaffe, author of Insane Consequences, “One hundred percent of the US population has at some point felt sad, anxious, or nervous and therefore could be considered as having poor mental health. But only 18 percent of the population over eighteen (forty-three million adults) had a mental illness in the past year, and only 4 percent (ten million adults) had a serious mental illness” (60). In summary, while many people may experience mental health struggles in their lifetime, very few actually have a serious mental illness. Some illnesses include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, extreme depression/anxiety, and many more. These illnesses can seriously impact an individual’s ability to function and decide what is right or wrong, leading individuals to commit serious crimes and assault family members. In fact, the infamous Ronald Reagan Shooting was orchestrated by John Hinckley, a mentally ill individual who was off treatment at the time. In conclusion, mental health needs to be respected and treated, but we cannot allow it to overshadow the people who are in the most dire need: those with serious mental illnesses.
SOURCE:
Jaffe, DJ. “Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill.” Prometheus Books, 2017. Accessed 5 August 2022.
Out of My Mind 