The World Health Organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being…” and that there is “no health without [the well-being of] mental health.” Despite various advances in the mental health field, many treat and sympathize physical illnesses more over mental illnesses. Institutions invest in the idea that mental illnesses are different and less deserving of support than physical illnesses. Ironic as it is, poor mental health is a risk factor for chronic physical conditions. It is unjust to accept and sympathize with a physical illness over a mental illness considering none of them are proposed by choice. The negligence of mental illnesses needs to be prevented.

People with mental health conditions are often labeled as “lazy” or “irresponsible” and are blamed for their illness. Mental disorders are deemed as less real and legitimate than physical disorders leading to the reluctance of insurance companies to even pay for their treatment. Why does an illness need a physical component to be accepted? Why is it okay for someone to skip school or work due to the flu whereas someone suffering from an anxiety attack due to social pressures still has to endure through the day without getting “real” help? Bystanders are less understanding, tolerant, and accepting of those who suffer with mental disorders. Visible illnesses are just the same as invisible illnesses, so the level of care in treating the disorder should be the same as well.
Negligence towards caring for mental disorders ostracises one from living a happy life. Poor mental health reduces the quality of life therefore has a burden on people. Four out of ten people’s leading cause of disability aged five and older is mental health. Out of all the mental disorders, depression is the number one most affected illness. Despite these high occurrences of mental illnesses, only 20% of people actually get professional help. This is because of society’s perception of mental illnesses as a weakness and labeling those with mental illnesses as “crazy”. Becoming aware of one’s judgments over the issue is key to understanding the difference between mental and physical illnesses, yet learning that both come hand in hand in health care and need to be treated up to par with each other.

Psychiatry’s diagnostic standards are voted into existence and are placed into the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM).  None of the diagnoses are supported by objective evidence of physical disease, illness or science. Psychiatrists claim that brain scans now show brain changes that “prove” mental disorders, such as depression. However, there is no scientific evidence to prove this statement. Dr. David Kaiser, a psychiatrist, admits himself that psychiatry is a remarkable marketing campaign, not science. Doctors label mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety as “diseases” in order to sell drugs. Studies show that in some cases the drugs people are being issued to take can double the risk of suicide. Psychiatrists don’t know much about how the drugs work themselves. This just goes to show the negligence mental health is put through and the danger many people with mental illnesses are under.

One may say that mental disorders can’t be validified through medical screenings and tests like physical illnesses can. However, Dr. Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry at New York University Medical School states that “there is no blood or other biological test to ascertain the presence or absence of a mental illness, as there is for most bodily diseases.” Even though the evidence isn’t definitive, it doesn’t mean the illness doesn’t exist. He goes on to say “If such a test were developed…then the condition would cease to be a mental illness and would be classified, instead, as a symptom of a bodily disease.” Many people usually conclude that there is no recovery for mental disorders. Those people fail to realize that recovery is a process of community support. Labelling and ridiculing a mental disability as a weakness lets the victim resist from actually getting help.
To have mental illnesses at an adequate level of care with that of physical illnesses a logical solution would be to stop and think ahead of one’s trained thought process of all the stereotypical mental health facts. Not only this, but to also further educate the general public to have a more sympathized and accepted audience for mental health.