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Is the ‘Open’ Discussion of Mental Health Actually Leaving us all Feeling More Alone?
Our inability to face the most difficult aspects of the mental health crisis has created a conversation that may hinder more than it helps
I want to start by saying that I fully support a more open conversation around mental health, grief and depression, it’s not openness that worries me, my concern is that the current narratives don’t go far enough.
In fact, I would love to see a genuinely open discussion about the mental battles many of us face and the inner turmoil that can make life so difficult for so many. However, what concerns me is the generalised language being used on social media and across mainstream culture to describe what can feel extreme and isolating for the sufferer.
We will often hear celebrities cite their ‘mental health struggles’ or ‘anxiety’ in the press and many of us have become comfortable sharing those parts of ourselves on social media. We celebrate ‘authenticity’ and yet often I’m left feeling like a story has only been half told.
An Ugly Truth
From my interactions with real human beings, I’m well aware that mental health battles can be uncomfortable and ugly to witness.
