By Zoe Carter
Mental health education should be a mandatory class in all schools. When, and who, decided that there should be a class in the school curriculum focusing specifically on physical health and wellness? Why is that more important than mental wellness? One may argue that just because there is a class for physical health, it does not imply that the school system disregards a student's need for mental and emotional support. It is not the support that needs to be reformed. Although there could definitely be better programs and support in schools including hiring competent specialized staff to run them. I am referring to the general education of mental illness.
The fact that individuals struggle internally and mostly in silence, does not occur to others without serious thought. 1 in 5 individuals in Canada experience a mental health problem or illness. This can affect any age, gender, culture or social status. Therefore, it is not uncommon to meet someone who is experiencing a mental illness problem or to experience the struggle yourself.
But for some unknown reason it is still a subject that has been pushed under the rug since before anyone can remember. Why is it that the issue of someone’s complete emotional state is dismissed with mentally smothering phrases. When did it become acceptable to not properly address someone’s struggle? How did it become normal to brush away any consuming feelings one has? Certain words such as ‘depression’ and ‘anxiety’ are seen as extreme over reactions to ‘stress’ or ‘sadness’. The answer to all of these questions is because we are not told otherwise. We have been taught through advertising, microaggressions, and the role models in our household not only to not acknowledge someone’s pain but you make them feel terrible for classifying their own emotions. There needs to be a clarification of the difference between emotions that a person can feel and how to properly understand and address these emotions.
From a young age, children should be learning that one day they could start feeling a heavy weight of things they cannot explain and be able to search for help. It is like telling a child “If/when you hurt yourself, get a cut, hit your head, or anything of that sort tell a parent so they can help you”. What is the difference in significance between that and being hurt internally for reasons you may not be able to control? If anything it is worse because you cannot control it, it consumes you and the idea of asking for help is lost in the dark void one buries themselves into. Implementing this system can help those struggling. Also those who don’t struggle. For example if one does not grow up fighting against oppression, a mental illness, a physical disability etc. they will likely not know how to deal with it. Just how if one is not black they will simply never know the injustice the black community has fought for since the beginning. But what you can do is educate yourself and become an ally. It is similar in the sense of helping someone who is struggling internally, educate yourself on what can happen, do not let your own ignorance and lack of experience blind you. Be aware of who you are and who they are and meet in the middle to help their lives.
In summary, when speaking about mental illness the most important thing to think about is how it affects a person. The only way to erase the stigma around mental illness is to have open conversations. Teach children from a young age not only to share and say please and thank you but to support someone in their struggle with mental illness. After how far the world has come with opening its doors to controversial subjects, it is time to take the next step and involve the next generations young minds. If the children of today are educated about these issues they could be the adults of fixing them tomorrow.