MENTAL HEALTH
MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUTH CULTURE
This post is slightly informal and more personal than usual
but I have had a sudden surge of inspiration to write about this.
1 in 4 young people suffer from mental health issues.
As someone who has struggled with their mental health in the
last few years, I can relate to so many people who have been speaking to me about
how they feel. Especially with uni students who have this lack of structure, a fucked up body clock and drugs are everywhere, it leaves people’s minds scrambled
and unstable.
Mental health tends to be swept under the carpet as it is not
visible, and I completely understand what it is like to listen to someone explaining
how they feel, and it can be hard to grasp unless you have gone through it
personally or can relate.
So often I hear “well what have they got to be sad about” and this is so belittling. I often feel like I don't have the right to be upset about something because there are worse things going on in the world.
Before I suffered from mental illness myself, I couldn't understand how people so perfect and clever could doubt themselves, people called it 'fishing for compliments' when the 'pretty' people complained or doubted themselves, which I now see could maybe of been something a lot deeper and reinforces that idea of having the 'right to be upset'?
A majority of mental health issues stem from trauma, but a lot don’t have a specific stimuli. Little things build up. You can have the best life in the world and still feel too anxious to leave the house, you can have the thinnest body and still think you are fat. Mental health has no boundaries and it can really affect anyone. Often the people struggling most appear the happiest and that’s when outsiders label them as an “attention seeker” or “dramatic” because they don’t see what goes on behind closed doors; people are good actors. I guess what I want to say is that mental illnesses come in all shapes and sizes and can affect anyone, so be kind.
So often I hear “well what have they got to be sad about” and this is so belittling. I often feel like I don't have the right to be upset about something because there are worse things going on in the world.
Before I suffered from mental illness myself, I couldn't understand how people so perfect and clever could doubt themselves, people called it 'fishing for compliments' when the 'pretty' people complained or doubted themselves, which I now see could maybe of been something a lot deeper and reinforces that idea of having the 'right to be upset'?
A majority of mental health issues stem from trauma, but a lot don’t have a specific stimuli. Little things build up. You can have the best life in the world and still feel too anxious to leave the house, you can have the thinnest body and still think you are fat. Mental health has no boundaries and it can really affect anyone. Often the people struggling most appear the happiest and that’s when outsiders label them as an “attention seeker” or “dramatic” because they don’t see what goes on behind closed doors; people are good actors. I guess what I want to say is that mental illnesses come in all shapes and sizes and can affect anyone, so be kind.
Sadly, there is no permanent solution or method of recovery as
every person is different; however I do want to stress the importance of
support from friends and family. I think education and information is sparse
and hard to access for the majority of people in the UK and because of this friends/fam don’t
know how to help, so feel powerless when a loved one is struggling. It took me so long to actually consider that maybe I should have a chat to my friends more and say how I feel because a problem shared is a problem halved (ish) x
However, proper advice and education needs to be introduced within schools, work places and more widely publicised, not only for sufferers but for friends and family so they can understand and support their loved ones. This vital education within schools could also help identify mental illnesses at an earlier age if students are relating to symptoms and the typical thought processes of a someone with a mental illness.
However...not all mental illnesses are the end of the world, some people will never get help as they don't even know they are ill. Yet we are in an era where men are told to 'man up' and girls are told 'that's just life' and so we begin to think our negative thoughts are normal and that everyone has them. Just because you don't appear ill doesn't mean you aren't, if you feel weighed down by life, tell someone. Chances are you might just need a cuddle or if it's deeper than that, you can work towards healing and get help!
However, proper advice and education needs to be introduced within schools, work places and more widely publicised, not only for sufferers but for friends and family so they can understand and support their loved ones. This vital education within schools could also help identify mental illnesses at an earlier age if students are relating to symptoms and the typical thought processes of a someone with a mental illness.
However...not all mental illnesses are the end of the world, some people will never get help as they don't even know they are ill. Yet we are in an era where men are told to 'man up' and girls are told 'that's just life' and so we begin to think our negative thoughts are normal and that everyone has them. Just because you don't appear ill doesn't mean you aren't, if you feel weighed down by life, tell someone. Chances are you might just need a cuddle or if it's deeper than that, you can work towards healing and get help!
In a way mental illness is just as harmful as physical
illnesses as it can’t just be ‘nipped in the bud’ with an operation or bandage.
It is essential schools introduce student well-being talks and advertise counselling in a less daunting way. When I was at school I didn’t even know we had counsellers and when I saw friends struggling I didn’t know what to do or how to help them.
The kids that did have counselling were usually going through huge trauma or were causing the school problems, I felt kids with ‘less
important or visible’ worries were disregarded.
I often feel guilty for feeling low when there is
nothing empirically wrong with my life- I have amazing friends, family and am
so lucky for everything I have. But that’s where mental health surprises you,
it plants doubts in your mind and makes you second guess everything in your
life.
Social media is the biggest trigger for my self-doubt. The
constant stream of tanned, tiny, perfect looking celebs who have a ‘better’ life than you leaves
you feeling hard done by. When in reality, they lead a robotic life with very
few meaningful relationships and apart from the free detox teas they receive
and promote on Instagram they would probably appreciate the privacy us normal
folks have more.
My biggest battle is comparing myself to others and I always
have. I am constantly thinking how much prettier, skinnier and brighter all my
friends are than me. I always think I love people more than they love me (probs
true) and make myself believe I am nobody’s priority. But I actually can’t
stress how damaging comparing yourself to others is. You are you. That is the
hand you’ve been dealt so you gotta WURK it. Make you as YOU as possible (if
that makes sense). Be known for your uniqueness and people will always value
you. You might not be the prettiest gal in the room, but at the end of the day,
who hangs round with someone forever just because they’re fit….nobody. Let your
personality shine out and that will differentiate you from everyone else; there
will be no need for comparisons as you are on your own level, whether that be because
you’re creative, musical, funny…. the list goes on.
I need to take my own advice because I am still here comparing myself to everyone else but it takes time to build your own identity and feel secure being you.
I need to take my own advice because I am still here comparing myself to everyone else but it takes time to build your own identity and feel secure being you.
Not that I am some mental health guru (cus I’m totally not)
but from my experiences I wanted to list things that are most important for
targeting issues and resolving them.
I found that a lack of routine was super damaging as it left
me feeling very useless and unimportant. Make sure every day you are staying
productive (apart from Sundays obvs).
It is soooo easy at uni to fall into a bad pattern of going to bed at 5am and waking up at 2pm, before you know it its dark again and that is so jarring. Missing lectures and being out of sync with everyone else can be super isolating too as it makes doing work such a chore as you don’t know what fuck is going on.
It is soooo easy at uni to fall into a bad pattern of going to bed at 5am and waking up at 2pm, before you know it its dark again and that is so jarring. Missing lectures and being out of sync with everyone else can be super isolating too as it makes doing work such a chore as you don’t know what fuck is going on.
I am yet to follow my own advice here and join the gym again but hobbies and sports are so beneficial mentally and when I get round to it I know I will feel so much better. I’ve been lazy
since going to Leeds as it’s always cold and everything’s a trek but it is a
complete fact that exercise is the best cure and you will look cuter too hehe.
Next up, this could be totally useless for you but I fall
for all of this marketing stuff so, SELF CARE.
Face packs probably do shit all but I still do them three times a week and maintain a strict skin routine cus it makes me happy (even when I come home drunk I manage to take my makeup off, cleanse and moisturise lol #dedication).
Have a bath and whack peep show or whatever you watch on and chill. also.... SLEEP FOR 8 HOURS, IT ACTUALLY WORKS
This could also be total con but I take like 6 vitamins in the morn for different things because they can’t be doing any harm and I am lowkey depending on these tiny fish oil capsules I've been taking since I was 10 to somehow give me super brains....….still waiting x
Face packs probably do shit all but I still do them three times a week and maintain a strict skin routine cus it makes me happy (even when I come home drunk I manage to take my makeup off, cleanse and moisturise lol #dedication).
Have a bath and whack peep show or whatever you watch on and chill. also.... SLEEP FOR 8 HOURS, IT ACTUALLY WORKS
This could also be total con but I take like 6 vitamins in the morn for different things because they can’t be doing any harm and I am lowkey depending on these tiny fish oil capsules I've been taking since I was 10 to somehow give me super brains....….still waiting x
This is probs more for gal’s, soz any boys reading this too
but …..a bit of fake tan goes a long way with my confidence, get ya nails done
and pamper yourself hunz. Treat yo self is my motto which is probably the main
cause of my decaying bank balance… but at least I have some funky clothes to
cry in xx
But seriously...... BOYZ, you are the worst for not just saying when you feel
shit. I get snapchats from each of my gals crying over some shit every week and
we all say love you and make each other feel better. BUT boys think its like ‘gay’ to
speak about feelings when it’s actually bare refreshing and helps create
stronger friendships. The strongest male friend groups I know always talk about
things they are going through and help each other out instead of bottling it up
and instead of covering it with lad culture shit…which by the way, is so ugly.
I am waffling but my point is- be kind to others, TRY and understand,
even if it sounds ridiculous to you. Be proactive, eat good food, drink dat
water, confide in your loved ones and SMILE. xxx
P.S. Here's a link to a interview with Robert Webb (ledge) about how boys DO cry and how you shouldn't feel emasculated by sayin how ya feel
Robert Webb- 'don't man up'
