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As a society, using the term "emotional health" rather than "mental health" might help make us feel a bit more at ease about reaching out for help. After doing some research on how the term mental health was coined, I discovered that the term mental came about quite innocently. This discovery made it even clearer to me that it is time to disconnect it from the stigma of mental illness.
The origins of the term "mental health"
In 1843, William Sweetzer, an American psychiatrist, coined the term "mental hygiene." Sweetzer was on a mission to promote mental health and prevent mental illness, particularly in the context of public health.
The term "mental hygiene" was inspired by the concept of personal hygiene, which emphasizes practices to maintain physical health and prevent illness. Dr. Sweetzer extended this idea to the realm of mental health, suggesting that just as individuals need to take care of their physical cleanliness to prevent disease, they also need to maintain their mental well-being to prevent mental illness.
This made great sense to me. Furthermore, Dr. Sweetzer believed that mental health should be a priority for individuals and society as a whole. He advocated for education and public awareness campaigns to promote good mental health practices, such as stress management, emotional regulation, and healthy relationships. He also emphasized the importance of environmental factors, such as living conditions and social support networks, in influencing mental well-being.
Now, knowing this, it makes me think that William Sweetzer would be greatly disappointed with the stigma mental health still carries. A common finding in the literature is that females are more likely to seek help than males. I don’t think that any of us are surprised by this, especially knowing that in February 2024, it was reported that in Canada, the suicide rate among males has consistently been at least double that of females over the past two decades. In 2021, there were around 15 suicide deaths per 100,000 population among males in Canada, compared to a rate of five per 100,000 among females.
As a psychotherapist practicing in Canada, and noting that May 6-12 was Mental Health Week, it really seems like a paradox of sorts that a) we as a society have normalized stress and b) think therapy is still stigmatized.
When has identifying and talking about our feelings and thoughts become shameful? Not to mention glorifying our busyness and embodying it as an esteemed achievement.
Slow and steady wins the race
Why should we mask the suffering that we are feeling? We are humans, and that is what we do on planet Earth. Instead, we wear a badge of honour for being so busy and so unfocused. It is not normal to constantly walk into a room and ask ourselves, ‘What did I come in here for?’ We would likely benefit from jumping into nature to search for stillness and be in the moment.
No wonder my 84-year-old mom often questions whether the world has gone mad. To which I promptly answer, “Yes, Mom, but that means I won’t lose my job to AI.” Then she looks at me even more baffled, wondering what AI is.
