Question of the Week: 8 - 14 October

Mental Health Starts At Home~! Hug Yourself~! Say something KIND to you~!

🦋 Is mental health more important than physical health? I have lived with mental health issues most of my life. I have lived over half my life with or around people with physical problems. My opinion, for what it is worth, is that both are equally important.

🦋 Do you think modern society increases the likelihood of mental health problems? No, I think modern society increases the likelihood of recognizing mental health problems. Many of them are not recognized or understood in less modern circumstances.

🦋 How can society help people with mental health problems? By listening, and giving thought to what will help those people, and then doing whatever it is that will help.

@SoulfullyAButterfly thanks for this question.

Is mental health more important than physical health? Mental health is a disease of the brain and how the communications happen so I do not see one as more important than another.

🦋 Do you think modern society increases the likelihood of mental health problems? I think modern society is more stressful and intense than in the past so we need to be more mindful to keep ourselves healthy.

🦋 How can society help people with mental health problems? I think it will take a sea change of opinions in terms of valuing all individuals and givig them the care they need.

I was going to post post but the question of the week is 3 questions.

🦋 Is mental health more important than physical health?

No, both are important and I think I would say phyiscal health slightly moreso, because as long as someone is put into a situation where they cannot do an action to physical harm themselves (say they are sedated) an acute physical issue can lead to death, whereas an acute mental issue won't. I think often what we prioritize more as individuals depends on where we've had the most problems.

🦋 Do you think modern society increases the likelihood of mental health problems?

There are certainly factors within modern society that do, but there are also facotrs that improve mental health. I would say most are better with society than without.

🦋 How can society help people with mental health problems?

Options so that there is overall inclusiveness in terms of being able to make connections. Good overall healthcare and awareness of how to treat all issues. Reducing factors that harm.

🦋 Is mental health more important than physical health? In my experience, it is very difficult to maintain good physical health if you do not have good mental health. You hear about the common symptoms of depression, such as having an apathetic outlook at everything, which may lead someone to neglect themselves physically. You lose the motivation to take care of yourself. Personal hygiene declines, you sleep more/less, eat more/less, etc. Which can be harmful if it gets out of control. I don't think that mental health is necessarily more important than physical health, but it is necessary to have some amount of mental stability in order to maintain physical health.

🦋 Do you think modern society increases the likelihood of mental health problems? Definitely. We live in a fast-paced world of instant communication where everyone is globally connected. The media is full of stories about people's successes and accomplishments, which can be overwhelming for us normal people. It can lead us to feel insecure about our lives and our ambitions. You never see stories in the news about people's failures and that skews our perception of reality. It makes us think that this world is all sunshine and rainbows, and if we have any shortcomings, we are inherently not good enough or not living a good enough life.
I personally believe social media is the biggest culprit of depression and mental health in the younger generations today. Girls and boys alike can open the Instagram explore page and be bombarded with photos of models with fit bodies living lavish lives with lots of money, traveling to a new country every week with designer clothes, etc. Their profiles are very carefully constructed. It is nothing more than a filtered view of a few selective moments from those people's lives. People only share on social media what makes them appear more likable or attractive. But the mistake we make is thinking that there is any depth to it. It sets unrealistic standards for people, which can lead to the same feelings of depression, hopelessness, loneliness, or the feeling that your life isn't worth anything if you can't compete with the lives of those you see in the media. The truth is, it's toxic. And frankly, for my own self-help, I've had to get rid of any social media that made me feel this way. I feel a lot better for doing so.

🦋 How can society help people with mental health problems? There's a need for more people in the media spotlight to talk more openly about mental health. If they have a social influence, they need to use it in a positive way. It is important for us to educate ourselves and others on mental illness. Another important thing... I find that people often view mental illness as being different than physical illness. A lot of people are more likely to make jokes about someone who is dealing with mental illness, like suicidal thoughts, depression or schizophrenia than someone who has a physical disease or disability. We need to educate each other that mental illnesses are just as valid as physical illnesses. Mental illnesses are diseases of the brain, just like coronary artery disease is a disease of the heart. Your brain is an organ and it can get sick just like any other organ can. If people would realize that mental illness is a real disease, they would think twice about their comments. You wouldn't make fun of someone who has diabetes or heart disease, or even cancer. So why make fun of someone who is depressed or suicidal? Why make fun of someone for having panic attacks? We need to break the stigma that mental illness is less valid than physical illness.