According to Jean Holthaus of Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in United

States, every year, mental diseases impact 19 percent of adults, 46 percent of teenagers, and 13
percent of children. People suffering from mental illnesses could be in your family, they could
probably be living next door, teaches your children, works in the next cubicle, or sit in the same
church pew as you. Only half of people affected, however, receive treatment, owing to the
stigma associated with mental illness. Untreated mental illness can lead to higher medical costs,
lower academic and work performance, fewer job possibilities, and an increased risk of suicide.

People with mental health disorders find it very hard to live every single day especially
when those people that surrounds them does not understand what it is like to have that kind of
illness. I have someone who I know personally that suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. Her
awful journey started when she was just 7 years old. She came from a broken and abusive
family, was verbally and mentally bullied school. Her situation worsens each day until got to the
point where she attempted suicide at a very young age. She did everything just to escape the
misery. She slits her wrists, overdosed herself with medicines and cried each night. It was very
awful knowing that no one seems to notice and asks whether she’s okay or not. As she grew up,
you would not believe when I tell you that she’s sick. When you look at her at first glance, you
may seem to conclude that she’s not struggling from within. She’s jolly, happy and knows how
to interact with people very well. She’s active in school and in the community. But when she told
us that she’s depressed and has anxiety, and a specific gesture can trigger her panic attacks, some
would not believe her because she is what she is to their eyes. Her family made it worse. Instead
of comforting her, they are the first ones to mock her illness and tell foul words towards her.

Despite the fact that public perceptions of mental illness have improved in recent
decades, studies show that stigma against mental illness remains strong, owing in part to media
stereotypes and a lack of education, and that people attach negative stigmas to mental health
conditions at a much higher rate than they do to other diseases and disabilities such as cancer,
diabetes, or heart disease (Holthaus, n.d).

The diseases of the brain are tantamount to the diseases of the other parts of the body.
May we help each other in educating other people in order to stop the negative stigmas of mental
illnesses. If you happen to know someone who’s struggling, please respect and accepts them
warmly. Learn to check on your friends and loved ones. Be kind, because as much as good words
can brighten someone’s day, your bad words can also trigger to lose someone else’s life…

Link for reference:

https://www.pinerest.org/mental-health-awareness-blog/