Mental Health in a Modern World
The world’s population is 7.8 billion and every person has their mental health to care for, whether they are aware of this or not. Mental health is universal, transcending differences in age, gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or profession. Simply put, even Beyoncé has mental health. Unlike physical health, mental health is abstract – this doesn’t make it any less important. Having good mental health doesn’t necessarily mean you’re happy all the time, it’s better than this. It allows us to experience the breadth of our emotions while feeling in complete control of them. I believe everyone should have a perspective on what mental health means to them in order to take care of their own as best they can.
Mental health is multidimensional; formed from complex biological, social, and environmental interactions specific to an individual’s upbringing and experiences. However, some requirements remain true for all of us, as illustrated in “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs”.
Humans are instinctively motivated to protect, nourish and shelter themselves for survival. Maslow proposed a majority of basic and psychological needs must be met before self- actualisation can be achieved. This is the cluster of needs (morality, creativity, problem solving, lack of prejudice, and acceptance of facts) required for personal growth. This theory is based on the premise that every person has the capacity to ascend the hierarchy of needs. However, influences such as poverty, job security, divorce, access to healthcare, and abusive family relationships frequently alter the trajectory of an individual’s progress. Hence, there is a state of unequal opportunity and inequality loops in our society, where an individual’s opportunity for their mental health to flourish is diminished by their circumstances or ability to access resources.
To uneven the playing-field further, not everyone’s mental health was created equal. Some people must work harder than others to achieve a Dalai Lama worthy state of inner peace. It is thought that there is a genetic basis for mental illnesses such as depression, schizophrenia and substance misuse. Adverse life events, like those mentioned above, may affect those with genetic susceptibility more impactfully than those without. This begs the question: how inclusive is our society to people suffering from mental health conditions?
If you’ve seen the film ‘Joker’, then you may, like me, have sympathised with his notoriously villainous character. Abused as a child, suffering from a physical illness, socially outcast for his appearance of being odd, lonely, and living in relative poverty. Spoiler alert: the film is basically a run-through of the perfect recipe for mental illness. Although fictional, the story has a twisted twang of truth. There are many groups in our society (those in poverty, ethnic minorities, the LGBTQ+ community) that have faced years of oppression. Ostracising and individual because of their unique characteristics leads to feelings of low self-esteem, unworthiness and identity crisis, with an expected concomitant decline in mental health. In an ideal society (a society conducive to improving people’s mental wellbeing that is), everyone should have equal access to resources like education, healthcare, and work without fear of persecution.
Humans are naturally social creatures. We gain much of our support through inter-personal relationships. This may be the relationship you have with your family, with friends, with colleagues, or with partners. We have evolved to form communities for safety, technology to feel constantly connected, and marriages for a legally binding sense of belonging. Our consumerist society frequently preys on human vulnerabilities like loneliness and low self- esteem with the attachment of self-worth to power, money, or beauty. The pervasive use of social media, due to its desirable ability to keep us constantly connected, makes it difficult to evade standards imposed upon us through the marketing strategies of global corporations. Online platforms have enabled us to negatively compare ourselves to others all over the world, implicating social media in the development of eating disorders and self- harming. And guess what? Not having the new iPhone 11 and not shaving every ounce of hair off your body (but only below the neck, of course) doesn’t make you a less important person than someone else! The point I’m trying to make is that your self-worth should not be determined by your appearance, how you dress, or how much money you have. For all of our mental health, it’s important we detach ourselves from these harmful values imposed upon us immediately.
Everyone has different strategies for coping when things feel out of control. Some people play sport, some cook, some spend time in nature, some make art, some write, some make music, some read – it’s about finding what works best for you. Whatever your lifestyle, it is always important to have an outlet and to take care of yourself, even if that just means getting enough sleep each night. We should never feel embarrassed to talk about our mental health – it is important. Mental health can be a heavy subject for many people, so it is imperative that we develop our own techniques to stay resilient in a modern world. My personal goals for my mental health are to have confidence in myself, to know and communicate my boundaries with others, to have compassion and to find happiness in daily activity (no matter how small). I am working on this and I accept myself and forgive myself for the mistakes I make along the way. It is important to be gentle with ourselves in a world that is not always gentle to us.
