It is becoming more common to hear from our friends and co-workers that they live with depression or anxiety. They are bravely coming forward to open up about the afflictions they deal with on a daily basis. We knew nothing about them prior since we ourselves are dealing with our own afflictions. In our work-centric “modern” society, our mental health takes a lonely back seat so that money rides passenger side, yelling directions into our ear as we’re behind the wheel. It seems ironic that as more people take the leap by coming forward, they take a step back by isolating themselves from situations.
According to the Mood Disorders Society of Canada, at any given time three million Canadians suffer from severe depression. 5% of Canadians suffer from anxiety. These figures are from studies conducted back in 2014; the numbers only continue to grow. We know that these mental disorders are caused by high levels of stress, that they are caused by environmental/biological shifts and that they are caused by genetics. We know all of these facts, yet when we approach the topic of treatment, we rely heavily upon medication. Most disorders are chemical imbalances, so medication is the proper route to take. But treatment should not be solely dependant upon pill usage. We are not machines designed to be worked until exhaustion or until something goes wrong. We are not machines where we have problems that can be directly fixed by inputting chemicals. We are human beings. We are human beings that need the help and support of other human beings. We cannot possibly hope to become healthier in our mental state by popping a few pills and getting outside for a few minutes a day. We are isolating ourselves from another supplement of treatment. We stay in our homes to spare us from the embarrassment of possibly having anxiety attacks, or being burdens on our friends and family with depressive episodes. We go onto our smart phones to try to connect, yet they isolate us further. We see everyone online listing their happy moments and achievements while we sit in a depressing silence as the seemingly chaotic spiral of our life brings us downwards, faster and faster. We try to continue doing normal chores and we try to carry out normal responsibilities when they were the stress that had a part in causing it all in the first place.
We know that isolation has a negative effect on the mind. We even see this with animals. When we cannot use our senses to make sense of the world, we are isolated. We become restless, we crave stimulation, we make up our own stimulations to break the monotony and we become highly emotional. It is ironic that in our affected state that we isolate ourselves further, becoming more unbalanced. This is why I think it is important for the people who have opened up to others to continue. It would be great if each community had a type of support group to gather to. Now, I’m not talking about sitting in a circle, sharing stories and vomiting feelings. Do you remember what our parents and grandparents had? The church. Before you stop reading because I’m pushing religion on you, think about it. They would gather in one place weekly in the name of their belief. Religion was only a small part of it. There was a sense of community there. People of the same faith were basically your neighbours, as well as your friends. They cared what happened in your life, you cared about theirs. You had a network and support group. They even became co-workers if the church did fundraising events. This is something that the younger generations have lost out on. This is not to say we should all become religious. What I propose is simply similar. I personally love animals. We should have weekend festivals with our pets and residents out at the dogpark or somewhere, and involve food.
We should be investing in the mental health of our communities, and we need to become active in our own treatment.
We need to take time for ourselves, but we cannot live in isolation. Others may be in similar states to us; we just need to connect. Offline.
