Whether you know it or not, mental health is something you interact with every day. It is disguised in the colleague who suddenly appears overly quiet in meetings, the friend who repeatedly cancels plans at the last minute, or the family member who is always “fine” yet still never acts like themselves. However, mental health is still a topic of whispers or avoidance. And that silence is what causes people to feel alone, feel like no one understands, and be afraid to ask for help. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and it should be just as talked about. You help normalize and drive away the stigma, make people more comfortable coming and talking, and create a stronger bond that leads to the building of a healthier environment. The first step? And keep talking until open becomes the norm, not the exception.
Why Mental Health Conversations Matter
We start talking about mental health with honesty and courage. The great Brené Brown once said, “Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage.” This is just a reminder of why openly discussing our journey is important.
Imagine this — you are at a social event, laughter reverberating in the pre-holiday air, spunky stories being shared to side-cramping inflections, and everything looks alright from afar. Beneath some of those smiles, though, are more experiencing anxiety, depression, or burnout in silence.
Even though concern for mental health has grown, it has not become an easy conversation for many. Such silence often stops people from seeking assistance or even getting honest about how they feel with someone they trust. Research indicates that approximately 60 per cent of individuals with mental health difficulties do not seek professional help (National Institutes of Health), driven by the fear of being judged.
Breaking the silence is vital. When you openly discuss mental health—either as an individual or as part of a broader community—you help develop environments that promote emotional stability, security, and self-care. When you normalise these conversations, it allows mental health to be viewed as a vital part of overall health.
How Mental Health Subtly Steals from Your Daily Experience
Mental illnesses do not always serve as juxtapositions, such as major depressive disorder or generalised anxiety disorder. They come more often in subtle forms.
- The recent graduate who appears to have it all together despite always being in a fog from chronic distress.
- The overperforming top student on the surface, but an impostor on the inside.
- The parent who smiles while nursing a broken heart.
These are silent struggles that can impact personal growth, a profession, relationships, and family. But most people shy away from voicing because they fear getting tagged.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, it is reported that mental health crisis could cost the world as much as $16 trillion USD by the year 2030. This is more than a number; it is an invitation to action.
The Need for Safe Spaces
One of the best methods to combat stigma is by creating safe spaces. These are places, be it with friends, family, or at your workplace, where you are free to express your emotions without being judged.
Safe spaces are not all about getting advice or solutions. Other times, a listening ear and some compassion are plenty. If someone does feel heard, they will be more inclined to talk about what lies beneath the surface, and that is often where the path to healing begins.
How Therapy Can Play a Role in Breaking Stigma
- Therapy is not just a remedy for a disaster. It serves as a guide for self-exploration, evolution, and a deeper comprehension of your own mind and feelings.
- When you make therapy normal, something people do to improve their lives (the same way they do exercise or eat well), you eliminate the fear or shame that can often come with it.
- Career counselling can provide a boost when it comes to anxiety, confidence, decision-making, and so on, all of which can make the road smoother when moving on in life and forward in one's career.
- These resources can become more accessible through promotion of mental wellness programmes, group sessions, or holistic mind-body therapies.
- Simple but Transformational Modifications
- Changing the stigma to break it (not that you have to, especially if you aren’t comfortable), but announce it on your social media.
So, How Can You Make A Difference Right Now?
The person you are supporting, the better way to help someone with mental health is not doing too many big done. Sometimes, it is the smallest of things, the small, daily actions, that can have the biggest effect. Here are some concrete ways to get started making an impact today:
- Open The Dialogue · Ask an open-ended question about how someone is doing.
- Provide non-judgmental and non-well-meaning advice, giving ear.
- Motivate professional support: Provide details about available mental health counselling.
- Normalise check-ins → Have conversations about mental health like any other kind of health.
I just want to remind you that mental health is not a sprint; it is a marathon. It is about empathy, open-mindedness, and always learning.
Bringing it together
And relationships in any setting — at home, at work, or in the broader social context — are better for this mental health. Let us join hands and put understanding in place of silence, fear in place of empathy, and stigma in place of support.
Whether before, during, or after your journey, we are here to carry you at The Full Circle. Let us break the stigma, celebrate our resilience, and aspire for mental health to be a part of health in the future.
