10% of youths develop a mental health issue at some point during their childhood. Recent government promises to increase help for children and teenagers suffering from mental health issues are necessary and long overdue.
When I returned from university following the return of my depression and eating disorder, I had to wait nearly two months to have my first CBT session and was told by my doctor that anti-depression medication was not only unnecessary but potentially detrimental to my mental development. By the time my first session arrived I had purchased a CBT self-help guide and taught myself a good part of the 'syllabus'.
What needs to happen even more than an increase in available help is the removal of taboos. Mental health is seen as dangerous, embarrassing and weak. It is none of these things. The majority of those experiencing such problems are victims because of a combination of nature and nurture. The dangerous spiral of insecurities present not just in teenager girls but in both their male counterparts and their parents must be stopped before an epidemic of anorexia throttles the development of our nation.
Do you think I'm exaggerating a problem? I am certain I'm not. Every time I go out or attend a party a considerable proportion of the revellers who are present will not have eaten. This is not just in a bid to get more drunk, more quickly, but also a desperate (and decidedly counterproductive) effort to avoid weight gain.
Warped associations are more dangerous than we realise. Why would starving oneself temporarily, and inevitably bingeing later on, bring either health or happiness? Similarly, why do so many people associate the gym with weight loss? It should be a haven for relaxation and fitness, albeit one where a potential side-effect is slimming down. Why is shopping associated with credit card debt and materialism? It is a necessary part both of our economy and our survival.
To return to basics is not only advisable but essential. CBT is one of the most effective treatments of depression, but perhaps it should be integrated into schooling from an early age, when minds are being formed. It will permit those who understand the technique to question ridiculous assertions and break the vicious cycle which threatens global development.
No comments:
Post a Comment