i don't know about matters of the mind yet i talk about them

Robert Enke
(24 August 1977–10 November 2009)
so I am truly amazed at the strength of Enke's wife, Teresa. Whether or not it is our need to explain or find answers to things incomprehensible, the fact remains that the stigma of mental illness played a significant role in his death. Stigma only compounds the challenge in accessing effective treatment. When someone is diagnosed with cancer they are not expected to treat it on their own or keep it hidden. Moreover, the nature of mental illness is a distortion of our very thoughts; it is more difficult to determine that all is not well upstairs in contrast with the throb of a sprained ankle or the jarring pain of a broken bone.

Counting those who do indeed seek out treatment, more than one in three people will meet criteria for diagnosis for mental illness at some point in their lives. Many never get the treatment they need, bringing lifetime prevalence rates up to 65-85%. Essentially, if you know more than two people, this will directly affect you. If you do not know more than two, well then, this is probably all the more true.

Depression is the common cold of mental illness as it is the leading cause of disability and the 4th leading contributor to the global burden of disease in 2000. By the year 2020, depression is projected to reach 2nd place of the ranking calcuated for all ages, both sexes.

Western culture emphasizes rationality. "We assume that suicide is rational, but suicide is not rational," says Dr. Anne Fleming, a professor of psychiatry at UCSF.
"Some people are more likely to develop mental illness, but the capacity is in all of us. It could be anyone -- and that's terrifying. So it's reassuring to believe that these people are different from you and me. To protect ourselves, we distance ourselves from 'those people,' " states Fleming.

(see just world phenomenon here and here).

"When we avoid human problems that are elusive or complex, irrational or subterranean, we close our hearts," says Sonoma therapist Richard A. Heckler.
"When we become more distanced from aspects of other people's lives that we don't understand, we reject those parts of our own lives as well."

I may well be biased to issues pertaining to the mind given my field of study. In any event, I don't think the importance of being more open to the discussion of matters of the mind can be overstated, especially for men where stigma is a great barrier.

If you are feeling down, please talk to someone, preferably one who can refer you to a professional (yes, some people go through years and years of schooling for this very purpose). And read my next obtuse post for a laugh at my inanity.