Opinion
Many people suffer from mental illnesses. And yet we don’t talk about anxiety disorders like we talk about the flu. That has to change.
The Australian meteorologist Nate Byrne had a panic attack live on TV. And he spoke openly about it. This makes him a role model because he showed, unvarnished and in real time, what it is like to have a panic attack. This still requires courage. Mental illnesses are still associated with shame. Many sufferers hide their symptoms and suffer in silence. Many seek help late – if at all. That has to change. We need to talk more about anxiety disorders, depression and compulsions. Only then will it eventually be normal to talk about bipolar disorder like a broken leg.
Just because many people automatically answer “How are you?” with “good” doesn’t mean that’s the truth. A look at the numbers reveals that mental illness affects many people in Germany: Currently, around 31 percent of Germans suffer from a mental illness. This is the result of a representative survey by the opinion research company Ipsos. The insurance company AXA commissioned the survey and published the results in the Mental Health Report 2024. One in three adults suffers from a mental illness over the course of a year, according to the Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists. So it can affect anyone. Or your own mother, father, best friend or husband.
And: there are many days of incapacity for work due to mental illness. Last year there were 25 percent more sick notes due to mental illness than the year before. DAK-Gesundheit evaluated the data of 2.4 million employees from 2023 and published it in the Psych Report. Mental illness is therefore not a small marginal phenomenon. It is time we stopped treating it like one.
Mental illness – stigma prevents people from seeking help
If sufferers cannot talk about their mental illness, they are left alone with it. A backpack that becomes heavier and heavier until it may no longer be bearable.
They don’t talk about it because there are still people who exclude people with mental illnesses or have a lot of prejudices against them. These can be passed on to those affected. And they think of themselves as bad, useless or oversensitive. They don’t seek help out of fear or shame, which makes their symptoms worse. A vicious circle.
If we as a society do not stop viewing mentally ill people as weak, undisciplined, too sensitive or even crazy, there will be far too many people who are ashamed of their mental suffering, punish themselves and spend far too long trying to somehow survive their everyday lives with their mental illness. Let’s do what Nate Byrne does and show that a panic attack can happen anywhere, even live on TV, and that it’s okay. What’s more: it is deeply human.
Sources:t, , ,
,
Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
