The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that more than one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder.
Count down the rows of people in your power lecture: one, two, three, depressed? How can you tell? Or maybe that fourth person is you. One, two, three, bipolar? Could you tell? If you are that fourth person, you are not alone. I, too, am that fourth person. I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks roughly two years ago, and I am done with being quiet about it.
Mental disorders are taboo in modern American society and bring about highly negative images. In those images, people with mental disorders are not sick or ill; they are crazy, weird and incurable. After all, the brain cannot be fixed"" like a broken bone or a blocked heart valve.
Yet mental disorders are chronic conditions, much like a heart defect or diabetes. These conditions cannot be cured, but they can be managed.
Similarly, those people with mental conditions learn to manage their situation, be it through medication, therapy or some other form of treatment, and life continues onward.
Despite the fact that mental disorders are valid medical conditions, they do not receive the same support, or even respect, as other major medical conditions.Diabetes is still a more comfortable and socially acceptable conversational topic than schizophrenia.
As with all semi-forbidden topics, there is no single reason that this taboo exists. It could be because the brain is a complex and even mysterious part of the body still not fully understood by modern science. Maybe it is due to lack of education about mental disorders: their causes, symptoms and such.
Ultimately, the cause of this taboo does not matter. What does matter is that this stigma must be broken.
The number of college students seeking mental help at places, such as the UW-Madison Counseling Services here on campus, has increased significantly over the past few years.
As the demographics of colleges have changed, so have the mental health demands. Colleges from California to MIT have seen an increase in counseling service use by 40 to 55 percent since 1995. This could be because college has become more stressful over the past few decades. Or, it could simply be that more students are recognizing that something is wrong with their mind or body and are actively seeking help for these aliments. If something feels wrong, seeking help may prove worthwhile.
It is no longer time to be silent about mental disorders. Dialogues about mental health should be comfortable and common. It is time to break the silence about discussing mental disorders. A quiet minority, over one-quarter of your fellow students, have sought or will possibly seek mental help. It is time to acknowledge these problems and encourage those searching for help in a painful time of need.
If you have sought help, let your story be heard. You may find others in a similar situation or, at least, educate those ignorant people who simply do not understand the nature of mental disorders.
Emily Houtler is a sophomore majoring in environmental studies and math. We welcome your feedback. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
