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Henry Sawdon-Smith describes a world where people with physical illness or injuries were discriminated against in the same manner as those with mental health issues.
Picture the situation. You’re sitting in the interview room dressed in your best. Everything has gone great and you’ve gotten along well with your interviewers. They just need to finish going through the paperwork and the job of your dreams is at your fingertips. They shuffle a few forms around before something catches your interviewer’s eye, and he picks up one paper in particular. The health form.
He shows it around the group before you and you can feel a pit open up in your stomach as mouths tighten and brows crease. He pauses. “I understand… that you had a broken arm once.” You can feel the bottom dropping out of the interview as you see the pity in his eyes. You tell him that you’re better now, that the doctor gave you a clean bill of health and that you haven’t had a problem for years. But he just thanks you for your time and tells you they’ll ‘get in touch’, and you know that your chance is gone forever.
What happened? This is what life would be like if we treated every illness like a mental illness. They are not uncommon. One in four of us in the UK will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in our lives. Just think about that number for a second. One in four.
You have at least four friends (probably). One of them could be struggling and you wouldn’t even know. Why? Because they feel like they have to hide it. You wouldn’t pretend that everything was fine if your arm was broken – so why do you feel like you have to act like everything is normal when it’s depression? Or anxiety?
It’s a pretty complex issue, but one of the major sources of the problem is the way that mentally ill people are portrayed in the media. How many times have you watched an episode of CSI and seen that week’s villain called “crazy” or “insane”? Or watched a film like Silence of the Lambs, where the killer Buffalo Bill’s entire motive is “he’s nuts”? It’s such a lazy shorthand for “bad guy” but we see it all the time. Can’t think of a reason your villain would do something? Just throw some mental illness in there! Bam, an easy stereotype your audience understands and can identify with – but one that has very real consequences.
People who suffer from problems – from depression to anxiety to PTSD – face massive difficulties in life. Not just from society in general, but even from their friends and their family. It’s harder for them to get jobs. It’s harder for them to hold down healthy, long-term relationships. Even things as basic as housing or welfare can be denied to sufferers – for no reason other than misguided stereotypes, fuelled by the media. But the really bad part comes when you consider what kind of effect this can have on someone who’s currently suffering. Being socially isolated at a time when you most need help can cause a vicious feedback loop – one that could end with terrible consequences.
Life shouldn’t be over just because you happen to suffer from something over 450 million other people share worldwide. There are plenty of examples of people who’ve made something of their lives despite being victims of these problems. Stephen Fry has suffered from depression for his entire life, famously culminating in his disappearance and subsequent national outpouring of support – but he still managed to become one of the most famous personalities on British television today. Elton John, likewise, has struggled with bulimia for years, yet is still loved worldwide for his ballads.
If you’re suffering, you don’t have to be alone. Find one of the many phone and online services that offer support. Find the Wellbeing Centre on Streatham Campus. Try not to drink too much alcohol (I know, I know) – It’s fine in moderation, but it’s a depressant, and it’ll only make you feel worse. Most importantly, talk to your friends. I’m willing to bet you’ll find someone who’ll understand, and listen to you. I did, and it was the best decision I ever made. Or maybe you’re not suffering – but a friend is. Just be willing to listen, and keep an open mind, and try to dispel all those negative stereotypes sitting in your mind – and you’ll find they’re still the same old person you know. Just with a broken arm. Metaphorically speaking.
Henry Sawdon-Smith
Find out more about promoting mental health awareness on campus by liking the Mind Your Head Facebook page. How important is mental health as an issue on campus? What is your experience of the services provided? Leave a comment below or write to the Comment team at the Exeposé Comment Facebook Group or on Twitter @CommentExepose.
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