Why is it so hard to talk about mental illness?

Because of the taboo associated with it. People feel that they would be judged or left all alone when they talk about their mental illness, hence it's hard and scary for them to even talk about it. In many cases, people even have trust issues to talk about something as personal as their mental health. But the thing is, we need to normalise it. If you don't feel okay, talk about it. If you've battled any mental illness, talk about it openly and loudly. People out there need to be aware of the ordeal and how it's not easy. They should get the inspiration not to judge anyone based on their mental health.

Mental Illness has unfortunately got a lot of stigma behind it; fortunately though the stigma is being broken and it is becoming easier and easier to talk about it. I guess a lot of the time it comes down to being able to admit to yourself that maybe you have a mental illness and fear regarding that and what other people will think of you that makes it really difficult to talk to others about it.

Mental illness isn't being talked about that much and not being given the attention needed because of the stigma and misconceptions that exist. People would always believe on what they think is "right" due to diverse cultural differences, beliefs, and opinions, and tend to invalidate people's struggles with mental health issues.

Sometimes it is hard to face reality. Denial is a challenge to overcome and can be blinding. Admitting to ourselves can be challenging enough, let alone talking to another.

Sometimes we feel like no one else is going through what we are going through and so we get worried that if we talk about our experience no one will understand it. This can be scary and make it harder to talk about our mental health with others in case they try to minimise or dismiss it, but it also feeds into the stigma that surrounds mental illness. One of the best ways to make talking about mental illness easier to do is to find someone we trust, like a close friend or family member, and open up to them about what we are going through. Quite often we realise that they have had similar experiences and we are able to support eachother through understanding, recognising and acknowledging those feelings and emotions.

Talking about mental illness is difficult, especially with loved ones or those you are close with. There are many different specific reasons why individuals struggle to talk about mental health; it might be fear, shame, confusion, misunderstanding, or any number of reasons; however, most of these reasons, when really broken down, will all come back to the same reason-stigma. While our society has come a long way in talking about mental health, there is still quite a ways to go. Mental health education has also come a long way, especially with the internet at our fingertips, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has been educated or done their research. Some people may only know stereotypes that are commonly (mis)spoken about. Some of the older generations still view mental illness as they did 50 or 65 years ago and this makes it really difficult to speak with those individuals. Mental illnesses are very complex and some are still not really understood by some of our best although many are tied to biochemical interactions. Most are also not understood because mental illness is not something one can see, and they also manifest differently for each person. There is just so much confusion and misunderstanding surrounding mental health, and this is why I feel very passionate about mental health education. While stigma is the biggest barrier and usually what each individual emotion or concern can be broken down to, there is a wide range of emotions one may feel when thinking about talking with someone about mental illness. Being labeled as “crazy” or “weird”, or being called a “liar” are a source of fear for some people. Not truly understanding mental illness can make it difficult to talk about one’s experiences and can result in a person feeling invalidated. Another fear is being afraid of negative consequences, as one may fear losing their job, being treated differently, or relationships being impacted. Stigma doesn’t just come from external sources, it can also come internally, which can lead to feelings of shame and guilt about mental health struggles and make it hard to talk about them. Some may just have trouble understanding, processing, or expressing their feelings surrounding their mental health issues. Regardless of the reason, not talking about a mental illness can be detrimental. It’s very important to reach out to others to get help. Researching mental health issues can help you to feel more prepared if you are worried about what you should say. Learning about and understanding the language of mental health can help to reassure you of the best way to discuss these issues with someone who can help support you.