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In recent years, we have witnessed a historic change in the perception of mental health. From being a topic that was avoided at all costs to avoiding the stigma that came with receiving professional help from a professional in psychology, mental health has become an open and regular conversation. The popularity of psychological therapy is such that there are those who have come to call it a social media trend, just another trend for generation Z. However, mental health is much more.
Dissenters from the rise of mental health care point out that the rise in the number of people affected by mental illnesses is due to a romanticization of these conditions, practically describing them as a luxury that new generations have the privilege of having. But hasn't the openness to talk about it allowed more people to identify, reveal and solve problems that were previously hidden?
Only statistics support the urgency to address these issues more actively. In the last decade, suicide rates have increased by 50%, especially among young people, and it is among the five leading causes of death in people between 10 and 34 years of age. If we consider that the average number of daily suicides in 2022 in Mexico was 22 per day and a total of 8,237 were registered in the same year according to INEGI figures, it is clear that —despite the supposed fashion— there is still a lot to do.
With so much information on social media and multiple influencers talking about mental and emotional conditions, it's easy for us to lose sight of the true meaning of mental health. Mental health, according to the WHO, is not simply the absence of mental disorders. It's a state of mental well-being that allows people to face life's stresses, build on their abilities, learn, work effectively, and contribute to their community. It's an integral component of health and well-being that allows us to understand our individual needs and build healthy relationships.
However, contrary to what people who believe that mental illness is just a TikTok trend think, these conditions have much deeper roots derived from physiological, psychological and social causes. Regarding physiological and biological factors that can affect mental and emotional well-being, genetic tendencies, type of diet, amount of physical activity, sleep and consumption of substances such as alcohol, tobacco and other drugs can cause greater imbalances within the reach of an Instagram post.
On the other hand, throughout our lives, various individual, social and structural factors combine to protect or undermine our mental health. The extent of our emotional abilities, our social circumstances, our economic level and even the environment in which we grew up and live can considerably impact our fulfillment. Exposure to threats such as poverty, violence, discrimination and inequality increases the risk of mental health problems, factors that have nothing to do with the current popularity of therapy.
When it comes to mental health, there are a million pieces at play in determining your good or poor condition. The growing tendency to talk about the problems caused by a lack of emotional care does not stem from their romanticization or collective sheepishness; but from the need to find ways to get out of the destabilization caused by mental illness and all the factors that caused them. However, one of the advantages of this “trend” or “fashion” —as some insist on calling it” —— is the influx of tools for caring for emotional well-being. Now, almost anyone can access platforms like Mindsurf that help us develop skills to achieve fulfillment. If you—like so many other people—are on a mental health journey, download Mindsurf. There you will find plans that fit your personal growth goals that go beyond trends.
Other sources:
https://berkeleybeacon.com/mental-illnesses-are-not-a-trend/
https://www.wtcsb.org/is-mental-health-just-a-trend/
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