At speaking engagements and public events around Wichita, I often get approached with questions about the perception of mental illness as a new phenomenon. And to be sure, objective diagnostic criteria for many mental illnesses are relatively recent developments. Things like Binge Eating Disorder, Caffeine Withdrawal, and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder were only formalized in 2013.
However, mental illnesses have been recognized in society for centuries. There is archeological evidence of attempts to treat mental illness dating back to at least 6500 BC, and we have written documentation of mental illness from nearly 5000 years ago. Even mental disorders that have been recognized for decades continue to transform in both their treatment recommendations and their commonality of diagnoses as on-going scientific research discovers new causes and symptoms of well-known illnesses.
I believe comments about mental illness running wild often stem from a comfort level that people have – or lack – with the topic. When we are suddenly faced with signs or symptoms in our own inner circles, it can feel new. And the steadily-increasing media coverage of mental health concerns can then make it feel like it’s pressing in on us from all sides. Yet this new familiarity is a good thing. In Wichita alone each year, an estimated 60,000 people with diagnosable mental illnesses refuse to seek or receive treatment. That collective lack of medical care poses enormous health risks to our city, and the only way we pull back the curtain on mental health and make it acceptable to discuss openly and transparently for the masses is through the continued educational efforts made by non-profits around the city.
Everyone who works in the field of mental health would be thrilled to work themselves out of a job. But until then, we owe it to ourselves to acknowledge the long-standing truth of mental illness, and embrace treatment opportunities for those we love.
