Mindscapes - Adolescent Expression | [Essay] My First Notes about Mental Health

For a long time, as a young child, I didn’t quite understand what my mother’s profession, being a psychiatrist meant. To me, a doctor was someone who wore a white coat and carried a cold stethoscope. I used to look at my mom and wonder where her medical tools were. Her "equipment" seemed to consist only of a quiet room, a comfortable chair, and a lot of listening. I didn’t understand how she was helping her patients; it felt mysterious.

People don’t talk much about mental health, but in my family it has never been discussed in whispers. As I grew up, I realized that her patients didn’t have visible wounds and my mother wasn’t fixing broken bones — she was helping people heal the broken parts of their stories. That was the moment I understood that psychiatry isn’t about "fixing" people so they fit into a society; it’s about giving them the tools to be the best version of themselves.

People with mental health challenges are in no way less than others. They can express themselves in different fields, including art, music, writing, film, technology, etc. History is filled with numerous geniuses and artists who stood out despite their mental conditions. For instance, the creator of Alice in Wonderland was known for a unique mental state that allowed him to give us the mystical world. Moreover, Vincent van Gogh expressed his inner self in outstanding paintings with a unique style that only belonged to him. These talented people remind us that great achievements often come from complex minds.

Mental health is very important for people who are my age. Everyone has their own ways to express their feelings, but we all have one thing in common: during this period, the emotions we feel are deeper and stronger than at other times in our lives. Emotions are everything teenagers feel and have. It is so important to have healthy relationships in this age; toxic friendships and doing things you don’t like affect your mental health.

Sometimes I feel like everyday life is so boring, and when I’m stressed or sad while having a bad day, it always helps me to watch movies. Since childhood I have had a special relationship with TV shows and movies, so I still deal with stress through them and being around people that I love always helps me too.

The movie based on Susanna Kaysen’s book, Girl, Interrupted,really helped me learn more about mental health. It shows clearly how these girls’ lives were turned upside down because of their mental health struggles. The main character is left with one big, haunting question: “What is actually going on inside my head?" Nowadays, this question haunts many people. Having hard time and negative emotions is part of our lives, and support from others makes it less stressful.

I really love how every person on earth is different, with their unique thoughts inner world, and exploring their minds is both hard and fascinating. I often see girls and boys my age who cannot accept people with different appearances and opinions; because of this, they bully or exclude them, and this damages mental health. Another growing concern in society is beauty standards, which make young people feel insecure about themselves. It becomes harder for them to accept and love themselves for who they are, and they lose sight of their own beauty by thinking that they are not enough.

Being mental health professional means helping people understand themselves first, and then the people around them. The world is treating different people unfairly, and clear a example is children with autism. They are often misunderstood. Despite their unique talents, they are not taken seriously, and others look down on them. I often see this situation in my life.

Mental health is the most important thing that shapes our entire life, and everything depends on it. We should take care of our mental health first, and it’s important to not damage others’.

I wish people would raise awareness about mental health and its importance in our lives.

~ By Martha ~