One in five Canadians suffer from mental illness

I recently heard that one in five Canadians suffer from mental illness but there is a stigma in talking about it.

When someone is diagnosed with diabetes they get insulin.  If it’s cancer, they go through chemotherapy.  But I wonder what the screening process and treatment is for mental illness? 

Could it be that mental illness exists on a spectrum and most of us suffer from it at different degrees during our lives?

Some of us have a huge amount of anxiety.  Others are obsessive-compulsive.  There are those whose depression shows itself through angry outbursts.  Or new moms who are struggling to feel happiness through their exhaustion.  And what about addiction?  Is that an illness of the mind?

Maybe some people are able to function with their mental affliction while others cannot cope due to genetics or lack of emotional support or any number of reasons.

Who decides when a person’s behaviour is “acceptable” or when they have a “mental illness?”  Who decides what is “normal?”  I know there might be obvious cases when someone is committing crimes or not able to take care of themselves, but what about those whose illnesses are less noticeable? 

I’m starting to think that we’re all more alike than different and that if we can start a conversation sharing that thought, the stigma of mental illness might be diminished.

Maybe mental health screening needs to be part of our annual medicals.  Then perhaps psychological counselling or endorphin-producing foods or natural alternatives or medication could be discussed as part of keeping our minds, bodies and spirits healthy.   Rather than as a fix when the problem has interrupted lives.