Written By: Alyssa Sirichoktanasup
At my school, it is popular to put stickers in phone cases or on water bottles. Glossy, laminated stickers, with cute illustrations and tiny quotes. Recently, one sticker has become particularly popular. A phrase, next to a little gold crown with sparkles and colored stripes in the background, declaring to the entire world that “I’m an anxiety queen”.
An anxiety queen? Is that supposed to be a good thing?
I believe we all know the stigma that revolves around mental health, and how mental illness is often shunned or looked down upon in today's society. But there is another side, just as harmful, that we rarely discuss. The glorification of mental illness, though arguably less acknowledged, is a facet just as harmful to our understanding of mental health. Today, we are often faced with movements portraying mental health not as something we should strive to acknowledge and protect, but rather as a tool for publicity and fame.
For example, the death of Robin Williams by suicide in 2014 was often blown up with graphic information and titles, explaining in detail the method of suicide and objects used. According to the CDC, in the four months that followed, the rate of suicide by the same method increased by 32% while the overall rate of suicide increased by 10%. And in the month following the release of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why (a show commonly criticized for sensationalizing mental illness), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recorded almost a 30% increase in suicide rates by American youth.
Situations like these paint mental illness not as an issue, but as a form of entertainment. They imply that poor mental health is to be dramatized and popularized, and is something that people should want to see. According to National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), “sensationalism (of mental health issues) can lead people to believe that mental illness is just a part of who they are, and that therapy is a ‘sham’”.
The glorification of mental illness is a serious issue that negatively impacts the public’s interpretation of mental health. Though not as well known as the overarching mental health stigma, it is still harmful and should be acknowledged.
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