I was watching a Frankie Boyle performance not long ago and he discussed the illusions of language in society today. One claim that particuarly rang true was about the term “Stress“ being an invented term, essentially meaning unhappiness but since it is labelled as stress people are expected to put up with it. Just one of many misconceptions in society today and these attitudes only lead to further stigma against mental health disorders- whether it be how to act around people who have them or seeking help yourself.
In a world where one in three people suffer from a mental health issue we have to ask ourselves how it has become such an epidemic. I do not attribute the fact that depression, anxiety and various other stress-related illnesses are so widespread due to being oversensitive, attenton-seeking or any other outdated and judgemental opinion, but rather the evolution of how personalities are formed in our current society. The disconnect between ourselves and what we see via television and social media naturally leads to unhappiness. In Humanism, this is known as incongruence and is at the root of many self esteem issues all over the world.
In my own experiences and from what I have seen, mental health issues are not caused by any one specific event- however the presence of one combined with internalizing it or reacting to it in an abnormal way is more often than not the case. This isn’t saying that this is through any fault of their own, but more the society around them that has influenced their personality and from which they have learned and picked up traits. For examples check out Seligman’s theory on Helplessness or Kernberg’s theory on Narcissism.
One thing I have been guilty of in the past is taking the mantle as the victim when I make a mistake or behave in a self destructive way. It is so easily done and very tempting to do. By taking a position as the victim you relieve yourself of all responsibility and blame and in the short term this is a good thing. However, in the long term it only serves further to develop this incongruence as by continually passing responsibility you will never learn skills that help you progress as a person, affecting your career, relationships, and other things. If you believe things you do are someone else’s fault the belief will only get bigger. How long before you shoot someone and blame the person in front of the barrell?
By taking responsiblity you can build on your personality by becoming a stronger person- increasing in confidence and lowering your inhibitions. I like to think of it as if you are a child and eating your broccoli is akin to taking responsibility compared to eating a chocolate bar and succumbing to the temptation of being a victim or thinking in these negative mindsets. It is these basic frameworks that therapies such as CBT is based on and helping people unravel these thought processes are picked up like viruses in physical health. The cure is becoming self aware of these processes- that’s when you begin the journey to immunity.
I realise it may be contradictory to say I have taken responsibility for my mistakes but then blame negative thought processes on society I would like to say that I don’t believe that makes me or anyone else a victim for having a mental health issue as much as it makes us people.
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