This is the best time in the history of the world to be mentally ill. We have psychiatrists, drugs, psychologists, scientific researchers, therapists, hospitals, and we are working toward public knowledge of mental health as a legitimate concern. Many people know what depression or anxiety mean, and can list names of other psychiatric conditions as well, even though they may not be able to name the symptoms.
Modern life also allows us to be connected to communities online, with social media sites, mental health support sites, and many blogs that try to spread awareness and understanding of mental illness. If your family or friends don’t “get it”, you still have people to communicate with who understand what you’re experiencing. Having a social support network can save your life, even if it’s made up of people online who you never meet in person (or friends you talk to on the phone who you never see in person anymore). Talking to others who are fighting the same battle you are makes you feel much less alone or abnormal, which is tremendously helpful for your sense of self as a human with inherent worth. In other words, having a community is good for your self-esteem, and the internet allows anyone to reach out if they choose.
The digital age revolutionized my care. I use a pharmacy that is open every day for 24 hours, and I can manage and order refills through an app on my phone. My doctor’s office uses a system called MyChart, through which I can contact my doctor online with any questions or concerns, and he gets back to me in just a few days. This level of treatment is radically different from what I had for most of the duration my illness previously. Because things were so difficult before, with problems like not being able to speak to my psychiatrist directly, not being able to change dosages without an appointment, missing refills after I had run out, the pharmacy being closed every day at 6 and closed on weekends, having to call my prescriptions in and wait on hold for up to forty minutes, and then having to call and wait again to confirm that they are ready (or find out that they’re not), I count myself incredibly, unbelievably, undeservedly lucky that I am getting such amazing care. That’s largely due to the fact that everything in the world is turning electronic. The internet is helping keep me alive, and I am grateful for that.
Depression in the modern age still exists in a gray area of public understanding. Many people know what it is and can validate it, many others do not and cannot. Any individual who wants to help fight the stigma against mental illness can do so by educating people one at a time, teaching the origins and symptoms of their disorder to people and showing at the same time that they (the sufferer) are a decent, regular person. With Facebook and Twitter, we can even display our conditions to large groups of people as part of the fight against the stigmatization of mental illness.
Because of the advancements we have achieved as a world, we as a world society are in the best position to support people with mental illnesses that we have ever been in. There are elements to our care that are still severely lacking (and it varies widely based on country), and many people do still die by suicide due to mental illness, both treated and untreated. We need to teach emotional intelligence and coping skills to our children, all of them. There are many things that still need fixing in our system. But there are also many things that have already been fixed. For that, I am indescribably grateful.
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