The Continuing Problem of Mental Health

'Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also more hard to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: it is easier to say 'My tooth is aching' than to say 'My heart is broken'.'- C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain, 1940

The human body is one sturdy bastard. Bone is five times stronger than steel if both commodities weigh the exact same, and these bones make sure our organs are protected from any potential injuries whilst also giving us some sort of structure. Our muscles give us the movement we need to move about like a maniac, with muscles like the heart working constantly to keep the body kicking. All of this is wrapped up in the biggest organ of them all, skin, which covers an area of 2 square metres for the average person. Golly, so many fun facts!

Problem is, bones can be broken, muscles can be torn and skin can be scarred. The human body may be a marvel of nature, but that doesn't stop injuries from happening. We can be extremely fragile at times, which is depressing for the sporting individuals out there who sit on the sidelines watching on in envy due to breaking their arm or tearing their rotator cuff (the muscles and tendons that stabilise the shoulder- absolute nightmare). Our organs can fail as well, as poor general health or just natural deterioration creates significant problems. To make matters worse, new threats to our bodies are on the rise. It comes in the form of mental health. Not a new ailment, but the factors that cause it are more prevalent than ever.

A multi-layered problem 

The Mental Health Foundation's 'Fundamental Facts About Mental Health 2016' provides us with numerous facts and statistics to show how much of a problem mental health has become. In 2014, for example, 19.7% of UK residents above the age of 16 showed symptoms of anxiety or depression. This is an increase of 1.5% compared to 2013, a year which saw 8.2 million cases of anxiety disorder occurring in the country. The Office of National Statistics (ONS) reported in 2014 that 6122 suicides had been recorded in the UK in the demographic of people above the age of 10. This was also the year that suicide being the biggest cause of death for men under the age of 50. It wasn't a fun document to read, but it is vital to learning about the problem at hand.

The BBC have published a string of stories at the beginning of the week on stories about mental health, such as there being a 'black hole' in mental health support for youths and the rise of poor mental health within the working population. Fact is, the world isn't doing great right now. It feels as if a new major problem is popping up every other day, whether it's a potential global pandemic or a world leader causing world tension to rise to uncomfortable levels. Social media doesn't help either, with many toxic communities spreading hate and criticising anyone who disagrees with them. Pressure to succeed in school, work or just life in general is a burden that none of us can shake, and our minds take the brunt of it. Our sturdy bones can't save us from that.

It's hard to find a balance in life 

Of the approximate 6000 suicides reported every year in the UK, 76% of them were male (ONS, 2016). Society dictates that men are leagues apart from their emotions; there is no time to feel sad when there is steak to be eaten or football to be watched. It is a taboo subject since a man who is in touch with their emotional side is deemed to be weak. The truth is the complete opposite, as the strongest men are the ones who know their weaknesses and want to improve on them. By keeping their true feelings bottled up, it makes the problem worse and could easily lead to a situation of grave proportions.

Just like women, there is a 'perfect' body type that men should strive to obtain. Both genders are bombarded with images of beautiful people with chiselled abs, flawless skin and a smile that could kill. This is, to put it politely, absolute bollocks. There is no such thing as the 'perfect' body, and quite frankly it is now beyond a joke that publications still make people feel insignificant by plastering images of the 'perfect' body all over the place. Yes, there are some beautiful people out there, but that's no reason to brand them as the definition of human greatness. Everyone is different, and having a bit of a belly is not an awful thing. Yet it leads to insecurity, anxiety, depression, not to mention the possibility of eating disorders. Nobody likes being deemed ugly or disgusting, and unfortunately some people are more sensitive to bodily issues than others.

Gotta learn to love yourself 

Life has also become far too stressful. Time is a precious commodity in our modern society, as we try to find the perfect balance between work and play. We get worked up over all the little things in our lives, freaking out about long commutes to work and trying to be back home in time to eat something mildly appetising. Once the weekend rolls around, dreams of meeting up with friends are vanquished due to the necessity of fulfilling work requirements or other boring adult tasks. All aspects of our lives now adhere to certain expectations, imposed by ourselves, our family or just society in general. There is an unhealthy amount of pressure to succeed, and that isn't good for our mental state. This pressure to succeed has now begun at the early stages of our lives, with teachers and parents alike emphasising the importance of passing your exams. 'If you don't get a B in Advanced Metaphysics, you will be thrown into the school lion pit'. Every school has one of those, right?

A problem of biblical proportions 

Technology may have made our lives significantly easier, but it has created a barrier between people. The convenience of being able to contact someone at just the touch of a button negates the need to have a conversation through speech. Rather than dialling up a friend and spending hours talking away, we can now open WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger and communicate through emojis, GIFs and so many abbreviations that you need a dictionary to remember them all. Those self checkout machines mean there's no need to have someone else scan through your shopping, once again eliminating the need to interact with another human being. Indeed, social media can cause depression as people post pictures of themselves in lavish locations and celebrating how great their lives are. We develop feelings of envy, made worse by our constant checking of social media due to a fear of missing out. The more we see of friends sipping champagne on the French Riviera, the more sullen we become with our bacon sandwich being eaten on a bench in the local park.

There are so many other factors that create a poor mental state, such as sleep, a change in the weather and even the conclusion of a TV show. Losing sleep means the brain can't recover properly due to not being able to replenish cells, causing a greater risk of depression. We become sluggish and lack energy to be productive, causing a significant slump in both our workload and general happiness. Seasonal changes means the body has to adapt to a brand new climate. Known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it usually occurs in the autumn/winter months as temperatures plummet and the sun sets at an earlier time in the day. Emotions improve once the weather warms up, yet the colds of winter can cause a sensation of loneliness and bleakness.

A bleak winter that brings on feelings of dread 

The end of a TV show or a series of movies can cause a state of mental anguish as that feeling of companionship has come to an end. While it is easy enough to move on to a new show (if you need a new show, 'Queer Eye' can help solve your problems), some just can't move on. Dopamine (a neurotransmitter that helps controls the brain's reward and pleasure centres) is flowing free while watching our favourite shows, so once we are out of episodes then the dopamine dries up. Our brains aren't as stimulated, thus causing depression. It seems silly, but the fact that streaming services like Netflix form such a major component in our lives means that it is actually a factor worth noting. As was mentioned before, new threats to our bodies are on the rise.

Think it's time for you to come back now, Jon Snow

So, we have ourselves a handful of statistics and factors in regard to the issues surrounding mental health. The conclusion we can draw is simple enough; mental health is a massive problem in our society. Everybody feels a bit down from time to time, but there are times when that feeling just can't be dismissed. It wraps its arms tightly around your chest, refusing to let go. You feel far heavier than normal, struggling to move forward through life as this horrible passenger refuses to let go. The unwanted load saps away all of your energy and drives a wedge between you and the outside world. A voice whispers menacingly in your eye that 'nobody cares... nobody ever will'. No matter how hard you try to drown it out, it drills deeps into your conscience. Depression, and any other mental health disorder, is terrifying.

On a personal note, depression has been a constant obstacle over the last few years. From the horrible realisation that exam failure was imminent, through to being forced into exile due to a case of mistaken identity, it hasn't been fun. Worse still, it's a subject that is hard to talk about. Nobody wants to tell their friends and family that they aren't happy, even though they would help you in a heartbeat. Again, that unwritten rule that men should be manly and punch bears and eat rocks, rather than talk about their feelings, is at play once more. One day, all the bullshit about bottling up feelings and leaving loved ones in the dark will be cast aside and everyone can be open about themselves. Don't suffer in silence.

Be fabulous and open 

This would seem like the perfect moment to say that, once more, the walking boots will be laced up for another fantastic adventure. Over the May bank holiday weekend, the Isle of Wight shall be conquered as I traverse the 106 km of coastline. There's no fundraising target this time around, but this epic quest is all for the good of the charity Mind. As mentioned above, mental health has been a worthy adversary over the last few years for me and many others across the country. The work done by Mind is inspiring and I very much look forward to putting my body through a horrifying level of torture-all for the good of charity. It's the Isle of Wight as well, so you know it's serious.

'Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more'

My fundraising page on Just Giving is up and running, so click right here to visit the page and donate any spare change you have. Don't feel obliged to donate (it's your money and your life, after all) but any donation is greatly appreciated. Mental health problems can't keep getting the better of us, and together we can help everyone suffering in silence. Depression sucks; it's time for it to well and truly piss off.

Ben G 😁 xo