Being Mental is the New Normal?

People with mental health issues have long felt that they are different from others. Indeed, discussions of mental illness tend to speak about “people with mental illness” as if they are a foreign group few of us ever encounter. The reality is that mental illness is so common—so common, in fact, that a recent study claims that it’s a life unmarred by mental illness that’s the real anomaly.

According to the study, which followed people ages 11-38 and tracked their mental health, a mere 17% avoided mental illness. Forty-one percent had a mental health condition that lasted for many years. Forty-two percent had a short-lived mental illness. This suggests that, sooner or later, mental illness becomes an issue for most people. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse were the most common diagnoses in the study.

Seeking help should not make you feel less of a person. It’s having a conversation with a 3rd party that is totally unbiased and has not interest in judging you. And now there are free programs to help with mental wellness including employee sponsored programs like EAP (Employee Assistance Programs).