Why is everything so heavy? Today I found out that Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park, had taken his own life. Again another tragedy has struck and the world lost another talent way too soon. He was a great musician and inspired all of his fans. Chester suffered from depression, anxiety and addiction -- three things that are hard to battle against. I want to talk about mental health because if we talk about it we can understand it better, and if we can understand it better, we can help ourselves and others.
Mental health
Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet in our society it doesn't get the same treatment as physical health.
Mental health problems are so common in our society. It's a worldwide problem that is growing rapidly. Two of the most common mental health problems are depression and anxiety and many more are suffering from both. The worst part is not everyone seeks out help for their mental problems. They don't receive the help or support that they need, don't have access to mental health facilities, or are too embarrassed to talk about their daily struggles. Did you know that 76%-85% of people in third world countries have no access to treatment for their mental health problems? Also, did you know that according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 300 million people are suffering from depression, and the majority of those that suffer are women.
Depression is a loss of interest, appetite and pleasure in daily activities, along with feelings of guilt, low self-worth and tiredness. Severe depression if left untreated can lead to suicide. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Unfortunately it's not the only mental health problem that we have. For example, 60 million people are suffering from Bipolar Disorder worldwide.
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder consisting of manic and depressive episodes. 21 million people suffer from Schizophrenia and other psychoses, that means that the sufferers are experiencing a distortion of reality. People who suffer from psychosis are often at risk of human rights violations by being locked up for far too long in mental institutions.
Also, around 40 million people suffer from anxiety. People who suffer from anxiety disorders live in fear.
Suicide and society
According to WHO close to 800,000 people commit suicide every year, many more have attempted suicide, and millions have suicidal tendencies. It's the second leading cause of death among 15-29-year-old young adults worldwide. These statistics are shocking. We as a society should spread awareness in our communities. People everywhere have the right to treatment, and once we can do that as a society we can make a difference and lower the world's suicide rate. Help those that are struggling daily and let other people help you, there is no shame in that. We live in a world with so much stress and information that we struggle to take in. It's getting too heavy for us as human beings. That's why we need change, to take a breath, and support one another.
