A topic was brought up on Loose Women the other day regarding children taking mental health days off school. There was debate on whether or not this was a good idea and although I can understand both arguments, I didn't agree with all the comments mentioned.
One of the arguments made was the following...
“I don’t want to underplay mental health, but personally, for me, I don’t think this is a good idea. Look, life is life and we have to know how to cope with mental health in everyday life. You can’t just take time out from school.”
This comment is problematic for me because it instantly lessens the struggles individuals can face with mental health difficulties. It is suggesting that these people should just get out and get on with it, as though it's really that simple. This highlights the bigger issue surrounding mental health and the lack of understanding that comes with it. These kind of comments create that stigmatised view causing those suffering to be too scared to speak out, with fear of their struggles being seen in this way.
I don't believe this was a fair comment as if this were a physical illness being spoken about, it would be seen as acceptable to take a day off. Someone with the flu who doesn't feel like getting out of bed, wouldn't be told to just get up, get out and deal with it. We wouldn't expect them to just 'learn how to cope with being ill in daily life' and instead, we would tell them to rest and get better. So why when it comes to mental health do we still take this unfair view? How can we expect someone with a mental illness to just 'learn to cope' and get on with it, when someone with a physical illness is given sympathy and is cared for.
Although conversations regarding mental health are increasing and it is making a positive impact on the way it is viewed, comments like these do highlight how far we still have to go. There is still a looming stigma and lack of understanding surrounding mental health, that leads people to hold these unfair views. I believe that the more we talk about mental health, and the more we share experiences of it, the more education it will bring. Hopefully this will allow people to emphasise a little more with those struggling, rather than telling them to just 'get on with'.
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Photo credit: https://financialtribune.com/articles/people/1651/mental-health-needs-extra-care
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