» spotlight : mental wellness
» STRIKING A DELICATE BALANCE Healthy Minds Canada ran a wonderful campaign that shows how people encounter a mentally ill person by comparing it to a pedestrian being hit by a car . �nlookers quickly gather and then promptly leave him while he is still lying prone on the street . They get tired of his injury , they don ’ t believe the severity of his injuries . The ad is a spoof because clearly the man is seriously hurt . The point is , we would not leave a clearly injured man on the street so why would we leave someone struck down by mental illness ? The theme this ad plays on is disbelief and this is the key to our discussion : People don ’ t really believe the severity with which others suffer from mental illness and addiction . But why ? The answer to this question may provide the platform to our public education campaigns ; campaigns that absolve fault without surrendering the message of empowerment .
To be blunt , at the root of this disbelief lies ignorance and vanity . For starters , disbelief creeps in because of the perceived familiarity with mental health concerns . They are so seemingly common that they tend to be brushed away . We erroneously dismiss mental illness and addiction under the false premise that we too have experienced the very same ailment at one time or another . For the most part , this is how we encounter acquaintances , co-workers , or friends who confront us with their mental health concerns – we fail to understand the true nature of their suffering .
" STRENGTH IS A NECESSARY ATTRIBUTE IN HELPING ANY PERSON WITH PROBLEMS , SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE TO HELP THEM FIND IT ."
- MICHAEL HOWLETT
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Of course , we all struggle with mental strife , with ups and downs , with breaking di�cult habits , but these struggles are thankufully minor disruptions to our otherwise stable lives . These minor disruptions unfortunately will have us believe that we know exactly what someone who truly suffers from mental health and addiction experience . We will attempt a few placating passes at resolution
42 • fredi spring 2016 HEALTH & FITNESS //