There are many that would argue mental illness is one of the last social taboos to be fully broken, the stigma that follows it still affecting many lives. People struggling with mental illness, while able to look after themselves without the need for patronising language, will need help from professionals, their friends and their families to get through some of the issues they’re dealing with. In attempt to highlight some of the issues prevalent with those who are suffering from Schizophrenia, Rethink have compiled a video in the hope of spreading awareness while highlighting what is “normal” for these people so that other can have a greater understanding.
Rethink Mental Illness have been fighting for those who are suffering with mental health issues since 1972, their mission statement being “Working together to help everyone affected by severe mental illness recover a better quality of life.” Through campaigning they have been able to raise personal knowledge and awareness of mental illness, helping to remove the stigma surrounding it while also helping those who have a loved one with mental illness to understand the troubles they’re going through.
Alongside the important social side to their work, they also help bring in a huge amount of funds towards helping anybody who is struggling with mental illness. They have also campaigned against the government on concerns based on worrying less about the legality of drugs such as Cannabis, and put more effort into the health effects that can come from drug use, especially mental illness.
Among some of the problems that can affect those with mental illness include an inability to find work, difficulty finding and maintaining a long-term relationship, finding decent housing and struggling to ingratiate themselves in mainstream society. What should be kept in mind, is that whatever amount of people you believe are having these problems, it’s probably more than that. Recent figures show that at least one in four people will come up against a mental health problem while depression affects one in twelve people in the entire population. It’s the belief that these cases are isolated incidents that Rethink Mental Illness are working tirelessly to disprove. Please, take this week as an opportunity to look into the various issues and problems that befall anybody who find themselves in the huge spectrum that is poor mental health. If you are one of those people, pursue professional help and know that there is always somebody out there who can help you, no matter how unbelievable that seems.
Here is the video that will make us all rethink.
