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physical health vs mental health
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The World If Mental Health was Treated the Same as Physical Health
Historically:
As early as World War I, we've seen examples of mental illnesses in soldiers returning home from war.
The Basics
Shell Shock
Historical PTSD
Shell Shock is the term created for soldiers returning from war with symptoms of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.) However, at this time, society didn't understand mental illnesses and called these veterans crazy. Without the proper support and care, many veterans were driven to commit suicide. In 1919, over 40% of all suicides reported involved veterans of World War I and the amount of suicides nearly doubled to 80% by men aged 18-39, who are the average age of those who served.
Preventing Shell Shock
Prevention
Not enough information with lack of knowledge caused Shell Shock to become a bigger problem. Society was more concerned with sending men who were fit and physically healthy, but didn't put enough effort into the mental illnesses the men would have coming back from such a traumatic experience.
Insane Asylums
Historically, physchiatric hospitals were called Insane Asylums. The mentally ill were called "insane" to the lack of knowledge of the illnesses they were struggling with. The stigma surrounding insane asylums is the completely white rooms are patients dressed in white with their hands tied. After World War II, the amount of patients in these asylums doubled with veterans coming back with unexplainable symptoms and cast out from society.
How the Mentally Ill Are Treated Now
Modernized Mental Illness
In our modern society, the mentally ill may be sent to wilderness therapy or mental hospitals, both of which need serious reform. Hospitals are known to be places were the patients are expecting to be treated and cared for. The stigma surrounding mental hospitals makess patients feel like they are in prison and caged up like animals.
Stories from Wilderness Therapy
Rowan: 16, Sunrise Residential Treatment Center
Tyler: 15, Second Nature
Aaron: 16, death at Second Nature
Examples
INSURANCE COVERAGE
Insurance
Another comparison that could be made regarding mental health and physical health is how much is covered by insurance. Certain therapists or counselors don't accept certain insurance plans. However, almost every insurance company is accepted by general doctors and family practices. It has become so unequal that priograms are put in place to insure that mental health appointments are covered. This is called "parity."
What is Parity?
Generally, Parity is the action of making something equal. In this instance, laws are put in palce by the governemtn to insure parity. Mental Health services are expected to be accepted as equally as physical health services.
Parity
Social Media and Society
The Perfect Life
To Society, the idea of looking fit and being able to post your workouts and healthy meals is more important than focusing on mental health. We see on social media how people can post their bodies and show off how fit they are. But, just because these people or influencers look good, doesn't mean they feel good. Iternet fame is too important to some and they focus on looking good rather than focusing on themselves.
Examples
What We See...
The World If...
The Solution
Now with all the information out, heres how the world would actually look if we treated mental health the same as physical health:
- lower suicide rates
- more people opting to join the military
- more access to financial support, information, and medication
- more education on mental health
- more preventative programing and efforts
- insurance coverage
- reform for phsychiatric hospitals
- normalized social media posts (less cyber bullying)
Sources
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/wwii-post-traumatic-stress
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/14/us-wilderness-therapy-camps-troubled-teen-industry-abuse
https://denversprings.com/
https://www.5280.com/should-colorado-parents-think-twice-before-sending-their-kids-to-wilderness-therapy/
https://www.healthcare.gov/coverage/mental-health-substance-abuse-coverage/
https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/march-2020/health-insurers-still-don-t-adequately-cover-mental-health-treatment
https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/nhhc/nurses-institutions-caring/history-of-psychiatric-hospitals/