Many times when people talk about mental health with older people, they are deemed as “attention seekers”. People use mental health to talk about it in a negative way when in reality it is nothing someone should be ashamed of. We seek attention from people, we desire to have friendships, love, and acceptance from our peers. We all have the right to talk about the things that bother us and it's not fair for someone to talk down on anyone because they are only trying to get help. This essay is intended for those who believe mental health is only for “crazy” people or who believe anxiety and depression isn't real.
This is Kevin Love who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the NBA. In November of 2018 in a game against the Atlanta Hawks, he was resting on the bench when he suddenly had a panic attack.He had to leave the game and be escorted back into the locker room. He described it as something he had never experienced before. He then later said, “ Not talking about our inner lives robs us of really getting to know ourselves and robs us of the chance to reach out to others in need...We’re All Carrying Around Things That Hurt” Because Kevin Love is a successful NBA player, people thought that these things don’t happen to people like Kevin. Since this experience, he has seen a therapist and has helped many other NBA stars such as Demar Derozen open up about their mental health struggles. They are more than just athletes.
The stigma of mental health negatively impacts people who live in rural areas. Sometimes the stigma leads to discrimination which can dwindel life and relationship goals. The stigma of mental health also leads to low self-esteem and production. Many people who live in rural areas believe if you have a mental health problem, then you are crazy and dangerous. Because of this belief they don’t believe in treatment and prevention. Their beliefs are mainly caused by a lack of education.
Studies show that minorities have a lower percentage of depression than whites. (24.7% for blacks, 19.6% for hispanics and 34.7% for whites.) Although the percentage is lower for people of color, the tendencies of mental health may last longer than other races. Many cultural beliefs such as “being a man” and “toughen up”make it so people hide their emotions and feelings which makes their symptoms last longer. Its is important for minorities to show support for each other and realize that it is okay to vent and have feelings.
It is estimated that nearly 57 million have a mental illness in the U.S while 50% of women who have a mental illness have experinced either sexual or physical abuse. Many women stay in the relationship they believe is going to get better but in reality the situation gets worse.Panic attacks, substance abuse, and PTSD can cause one to not speak up or go undiagnosed. These women are underrepresented in prison populations and are sometimes homeless. They are also more likely to suffer from more than one mental illness.
Getting older can result in many changes. One of those changes could be retirement. Many people assume that mental health problems are a normal part of ageing but most people don’t develop them. In some cases retirement can be unplanned and sudden. I asked my grandmother who was a former cook at a southern soul food restaurant that suddenly closed down in 2013. I asked her how the restaurant closing affected her mentally and financially. She said “ With the restaurant closing unexpectedly, it forced me to go into panic mode. I had money saved up but not enough to last, I was mostly worried about how I was gonna be able to pay for rent. All of the worrying caused me to stress out a lot and I was depressed on the fact that I had no money coming in and had no way of paying for bills”. Not everyone is able to retire at the same time so money can be a huge factor in one's mental health.
According to the CDC, the majority of Americans (nearly 90%) aged 50 or older said they were receiving fair amounts of emotional support from family members and friends. Although this is a good percentage of people who get help, it could be better. The statistics among minorities is still alarming, Approximately one-fifth of Hispanic and other, non-Hispanic adults who are at least 65 said they were not receiving the support they need, compared to about one-tenth of older white adults. As a minority, I believe many people of color don’t get the help they need because of shame, embarrassment or they don’t have the time or money. As the younger generation, I think it's our job to try and fix this gap with our elders.
Although some people may not believe it, exercise and dieting is a big part of one's mental health. Unhealthy food choices such as excess processed foods, junk food, and food with low nutrient value can lead to low self-esteem and have one feeling sluggish. It can also develop other negative habits such as eating disorders. Frequent mental distress can be caused by a poor diet and interfere with one's physical health. Seniors who experienced frequent mental distress were more likely to participate in activities that contribute to poor health such as smoking, not exercising or eating healthy.
Life satisfaction can play a big role in how happy we are with our life choices that are influenced by our health, economic status or even environmental factors. In a study of adults 50-64 years of age, 45% of them said they were dissatisfied with their lives. This statistic can be attributed to situations such as having to drop out of school or getting a job that they don’t like. Many times we try to compare ourselves to others but doing this puts perceptions in our heads that we can do anything. Nothing is impossible to achieve but the other person is in a different situation. The other person may have a stronger support system or more money but it's important to remember we should try to make the most out of our own situations.
At the end of the day, many of the everyday activities and practices discussed can lead to mental illness. We are all human and there is not much that makes us different from everybody else. We may live in different circumstances and have families but we shouldn't let our emotions get in the way of our jobs and the things important to us. Having discussion with people we trust can help us convey our emotions and get treatment if we need it. We may not be happy all the time but there certainly are ways we can manage and take control of our emotions.