There is a distinct lack of understanding about mental illness in society, rather shocking considering the statistics show that 1 in 4 suffer from mental illness.
Why mental health should be taught in schools
My Own Story;
I was 13 when I attempted to take my own life; after years of bullying and a dysfunctional family home I was left severely depressed, yet had no way of understanding my emotions or what was happening to me. I had never even heard of the word “mental illness”.
While I was being taught algebra and how to write a book review, behind closed doors and even in the schools toilets I would take the compass out of my pencil case and gauge it into my arms. I had no idea that what I was doing was self-harming; I had never come across that phase. I did not understand what I was doing or why, nobody had ever explained this to me.
I was trapped in a vicious cycle, scared and alone.
There was no support in the classroom; instead I became the “troubled teen”.
I got good grades, I tried desperately to fit in, yet the years of abuse and being mistreated by society led me to being misunderstood.
I was crying out for help. I began using drugs, alcohol and self-harm as an escape, nobody noticed and if they did they did not care.
I sat my GCSE English exam while intoxicated on Whisky, the bottle I had drunk the night before, with my father and his friend, I was 15 years old.
Had I have been taught about mental illness and self-harm my life could have been saved and I most probably would have avoided the lifetime of misery that followed.
The school system has not changed. My own daughter suffered depression last year. I spoke with the school’s nurse who quite frankly informed me “It’s just hormones”. I rather politely informed her that daughter was showing all the signs of depression and support was needed.
My worries were dismissed; I was given the feeling that because I was mentally ill, how on earth would I know?
It turns out I knew more than her as a few months later the mental health crisis team were called out when my daughter spoke of suicide to a trusted teacher at school.
Still the school had no idea how to deal with such a dilemma and phoned me at home to come and collect her from school.
Unlike myself at 13 years of age, my daughter is very well educated on mental health thanks to my own illness. Her friends are not and it angers me to hear and witness so many children falling through the system because they are being misunderstood.
There has never been any support offered to my own children. I am bipolar and among other things do self-harm and suffer from my illness, which means my children suffer too.
The health professionals are nowhere to be seen, are these not the correct people to teach my children about why their mum behaves the way she does? Would my children not benefit from learning and receiving support?
I believe if mental health was taught in the classroom not only would it help to break the stigma that surrounds mental health but it could save a life.
How many children need to be able to write a book review later in life compared to how many children will come across mental illness?
How many children of school age live with a mentally ill parent?
How many school children themselves suffer from mental illness?
When children and young people are misunderstood and not taught about their emotions and fears, they like I did turn to other means.
What are your views? Should mental health be taught in schools?
About The Real Supermum
I will be campaigning to have mental health taught in classrooms in 2013 Your support is as always much appreciated – http://t.co/PrxK71u5
Right behind you Emma x
When I was in school I was bullied viciously. My home life consisted of phisical and mental abuse and my school was the same. I had one person who was kind to me. In his lessons I would sit in the corner and cry. Cry because I was alone, afraid and because I wanted to die. He knew I was targeted at school and in his lessons would stop them all dead. Those lessons were my only respite.
In school I was taught that mental illness was hearing voices, seeing things and you were locked up for life.
I wasent taught that being so unhappy you begged the people who waited for you every night after school to beat you up and throw you into the road to kill you was suicidal depression. I wasent taught it could be helped.
Leaving school i ended up in a pyschiatric ward aged 18. I was there with people with personality disorders, schizophrenia, depression, self harmers, learning difficulties, all kind of trait that would get you locked up.
In time I was able to see through the illnesses and see the people. Normal people who for whatever reason had ended up where I was. Scizophrenics were able to sit with me and talk. I was taught they were nuts. I wasent taught they were capable of talking like a average person. It shocked me.
Once i was in a taxi with my carer and the taxi driver found out we were going back to the high dep unit and made some comment about me being nuts or off my head on drugs. I told him i had never touched drugs and was there for depression and he laughed and said i was lying. They dont lock up depressed people only pyschos.
When i got out and if i had to tell someone i was sectioned the general opinion is im nuts. I must be. They looked at me in a certain way. Either oh god am i safe to be around ie am i gonna go pyscho and pull out a brick and beat people to death with it because the voices tell me too, or oh poor you with all those nutters it must have been scary. Yes it was at times. But it was also eye opening.
Since ive been out i have incredible respect for mental illness. I detest the labels. People get labelled and medicated quicker than you can say hold on i didnt agree to this. Drs medicate and dont try to help. People dont accept any form of mental illness because they dont know enough about it. It frightens them so they lock it away, ignore it, give it pills to shut it up.
The way mental illness is dealt with by society is appauling. If people took the time to think, to look, to actually open their eyes and see the truth about it and the people that are a part of it they would be shocked. Children accept things far easier than adults so why arent we teaching our children its ok to have a mental illness. That it doesnt always mean something bad.
Teach the children to understand and not be afraid.
It is a every day occurence. It shouldnt be a stigma or blacked out in shame.
It could save lives, save families and save peoples dignity.
I would say yes x
Should mental health be taught in schools? http://t.co/PrxK71u5 please RT
Should mental health be taught in schools? http://t.co/PrxK71u5
Yes they should xxx
Yes i think that children at school should be made aware of metal health. I think it would help and you might find alot of children who thought they were different and not sure what was wrong can relate to it x
I couldn’t agree more – we do need to teach children about mental illness. Should we also teach children about ‘good’ mental health too? such as coping strategies for dealing with stress?
With stats of 1 in 4 suffering with Mental Health issues I think it should be yes. More needs to be done to rid the stigma attached to the subject. x
yeah they should x
Yes it seems to be quite common and not a lot of people k ow about it! It may help them in the future x
i do think they should, hopefully by teaching it would lessen the stigma as their would be less ignorance on the subject and as generations move on the stigma would phase out. x
Yes I think it should, along with finance & essential living skills! xx
yes deffo think they should xx
I think it’s crazy that we aren’t taught about mental health in schools – think about it, at no point in our lives are we taught HOW to be mentally healthy. As children and teenagers, as we work out our belief systems and attitudes to the world, we are not told what thought processes will be helpful or detrimental to us down the line. By definition most mental health problems (depression, phobias, anxiety) are the result of and are intrinsically made of unhelpful belief systems and thought processes. Without the education, of course, many of us will follow (and have followed) a path that will lead to mental health problems without it being our fault that we are ignorant on what we are doing.