World Mental Health Day

Oct 9

Boon Coach Tricia Gehl

World Mental Health Day was born from a need to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts to support mental health. This day provides us with an opportunity to shine an even brighter spotlight on the critical need to make mental health care a reality for all people worldwide. As the bedrock of our emotional well-being, mental health affects our relationships, our professional experiences, and our overall satisfaction and fulfillment. So, if mental health is such a critical part of the human experience, with so many of us suffering with adverse effects, why aren’t we making it a bigger part of our day-to-day conversations?

Why Aren’t We Talking to Each Other?

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had targeted conversations with friends, colleagues, and clients about mental health and why we seem to clam up when it comes to talking about our own. Here are the themes that shook out:

Stigma

● Although we’ve come a long way in most societies when it comes to destigmatizing mental health, being seen as “broken,” being discriminated against, and being socially isolated still plays a significant role in keeping things to ourselves

● We fear the mentally ill “label” will stay with us permanently, and those around us will always see us as impaired in some way, no matter what progress we make with our mental health

Fear of Judgement

● Most people still carry the crippling fear that those we love and respect will view us as weak, inadequate, or unstable if we share our mental health struggles

● We fear that if we disclose our struggles, we might be pitied or treated with kid gloves by others

Privacy

● Mental health is a deeply personal and private matter for most people, and we may be uncomfortable sharing our innermost thoughts and feelings with others, even if it’s with a therapist or counselor

Cultural and Familial Conditioning

● Cultural and familial “rules” and expectations can play a significant role in how we do or do not speak about mental health issues. We may have received messaging early on from our families or cultures that to even experience mental health issues is a sign of weakness. This messaging makes talking about those issues impossible, as they reinforce the trope of mental health issues as a sign of weakness

Concern for Professional Consequences

● We’re worried about how admitting we’re struggling mentally might influence our personal brand in the workplace, especially if we’ve had a negative experience after doing so in the past

● Most people fear being passed over for promotions, high-profile projects, and leadership opportunities if their own leaders know they are or have experienced issues with their mental health

Inadequate Support Systems

● Some feel that those in their circle lack empathy and might not be able to fully understand what they’re going through

● Having received some version of any of the following statements when you’ve opened-up in the past:

○ “You need to just push those thoughts away.”

○ “Be grateful for what you have…there are people who are so much worse off.”

○ “Just perk yourself up, you’ve got this!”

○ “You’ll be fine, just keep going.”

Negative Self-Talk

● Deep feelings of shame make it even more difficult to seek help or share your issues openly

● Feeling that sharing with family or friends makes you a burden

Coping Mechanisms

● Developing coping mechanisms designed to keep mental health struggles hidden from others or don’t address root issues

● Internalizing mental health struggles as a means to cope with them

What Can We Do

I encourage you to think of this year’s World Mental Health Day as a call to action! Together we have an opportunity to dismantle each and every one of the stigmas and negative interpretations created around mental health issues.

Don’t know where to start? Consider one of these:

● Initiate one conversation this week about your own mental health struggles (past or present)

○ What would you like to share about your own experiences?

○ Who might you share them with?

● Initiate one conversation this week with a friend, family member, or colleague who might be silently struggling with their mental health (it's important to recognize that the decision to disclose or discuss mental health is deeply personal and should be made in a way that feels safe and comfortable for the individual)

○ How might you approach that conversation?

○ How will you make sure you’re offering a supportive and non-judgmental ear?

○ How will you follow their lead and not push them too far outside their comfort zone?

And most importantly, how will you do your part to undo some of the negative conditioning you’ve received around not speaking up about your mental health issues?