Mental health is a global issue that affects millions of people every year, yet it is often overlooked and ignored. Nearly 60% of people with mental illness did not seek treatment last year, and the longer an illness persists, the more difficult it will be to treat and recover from it. Mental health problems don't get better on their own, and early treatment generally leads to better outcomes. The stigma of mental illness, along with several other factors, results in high rates of untreated mental illness both in the United States and around the world.
More than half of American adults will have to face some type of mental illness in their lifetime, but social stigmas can often make it more difficult to admit that it is one. The result of not getting help can make mental illnesses worse and make you feel even more depressed, isolated, and anxious. Untreated mental illnesses are a public health problem around the world and are not limited to the United States. It is now well established in medical circles that physical and mental health are visibly interrelated.
Anything that negatively affects your emotional, psychological and social well-being should be addressed, as a deterioration in your mental health can affect you physically. Many people ignore their symptoms because they fear being stigmatized. Knowing what mental illness is, how it affects you and why it can be difficult to accept it helps you get the help you'll need. There are other reasons as well, such as that people simply have busy schedules and don't take the time to recognize their mental health.
To analyze this public health problem, it's crucial to realize why some people with mental illnesses don't have access to treatment or why they don't seek treatment. Many mental illnesses go untreated because of the amount of money it costs to seek medical help and the way in which society views people with mental illness with resentment. Mental health is an underserved cause in international aid for the same reasons that it remains a taboo topic in most countries. In addition, in the case of international aid, mental health has difficulty in attracting donations, also due to a marketing problem. It is said that one in six Americans suffers from some type of mental health condition, the sad thing is that not many seek professional help.
Despite the growing number of untreated mental illnesses today, notable advances in mental health treatment may offer a positive outlook in the coming years. It is very important to make mental health a top priority, as leaving a mental illness untreated can have extremely negative effects on the person. It is now universally known that it is as important and essential as physical health.
