Mental health plays a major role in determining not only the state of how we feel and think, but also how healthy we are socially. It controls thinking, emotional outlook and behavior in general. It determines how emotionally healthy (or unhealthy) you are in all your interactions with others, down to making those snap decisions.
Well, improved mental health makes it possible for people to: reach their potential, work productively, cope with the stresses associated with life, and participate in their communities. However, mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder can have a serious impact on quality of life.
By addressing mental health, breakdown, and access to care, we must be better advocates for our community, which may not feel well physically or mentally if they need help.
There is still that hesitation in people when sharing their problems or talking about stress or mental health. It is very important to talk about issues like depression, anxiety, and stress and also to keep adding and share all the new, research based knowledge constantly. There are still some people in our society who don’t feel nice about consulting a doctor for their mental well-being and don’t find any motivation to go for consultations or therapies.
We should get over this concept of stigmatizing mental health issues and make efforts to promote more knowledge based approaches in helping the situation. This should be normalized and treated as any other health issue.
Storytelling is a very powerful tool that should be brought in use, quit skillfully in order to address mental health issues. In fact, over the past few years, the use of storytelling has emerged as a powerful tool vis-à-vis mental health. Stories allow therapists to gain first-hand knowledge of clients’ lives and experiences besides establishing relationships, fostering recovery and enhancing understanding and compassion.
The virtue usually associated with storytelling for the patient is developing a sense of belongingness. This is true when individuals come out and talk about the hardships that they have faced concerning mental health issues, and other people who have endured similar things are able to understand what is being said. With such shared experiences, the audience gets a feeling of the company’s unity, which makes them understand they are not suffering alone.
In support groups, people are first of all told short stories to make them feel as if they are being heard. When stating one’s story, others may find something to append a nod to, or they may share similar experiences. Such a realization can be very comforting and may reduce the feeling of loneliness. Listening as well as sharing one’s story provides consolation to the affected person in the process.
There are many techniques through which patients are taught how to narrate their stories so as to gain a better understanding of their experiences and emotions. One of these methods used by psychologists is ‘Narrative Therapy’. It is stated that if a person turns the events in his or her life into a narrative, the person is granted different perspectives and angles, which may be vital for overcoming the problem.
Narrative Therapy assists individuals to categorize their ideas and feelings so that they are in a better position to mitigate an ordeal or circumstances that may cause distress. It also enables them to devalue their problems and not consider themselves part of the problem. Such division can provide a sense of self-sufficiency for people as well as their narrative and mental health.
Apart from the beneficiaries within the community, storytelling plays a very big role in ensuring that awareness of mental health issues is created. The true-life narration of experiences by individuals suffering from mental disorders in books, blogs, podcasts, social media, and even movies becomes the best way for the public to learn about it. Telling such narratives reduces prejudice and discrimination, which in turn provides a positive perspective on mental illness.
Studies show that comic books, which entail representations of characters’ thoughts and emotions, have a positive effect on the ability to empathize with and understand people. There is this way that people can learn if only they interact with the various stories that relate to mental health, thus having more empathy for the people with such health issues.
Storytelling is a common strategy and a part of the practices of therapists and counselors. Techniques such as ‘guided imagery’, ‘journaling’ and ‘life review’ may help the clients verbalize what they went through and analyze how they felt.
These techniques can be effective when applied to patients who can hardly engage in normal talk therapy. With reference to group therapy, storytelling enables the creation of relationships and support among the members. Everyone wants to hear others’ stories, and the listeners in turn can encourage people to narrate their own; this, of course, produces an on-going cycle of revelation and understanding. This shared story can also reduce the stigma and embarrassment associated with mental health problems because everybody experiences them.
Therefore, it can be said that storytelling has come in new forms in the current society defined by information technology. Mental health stories appear on social media sites, blogs, and podcasts, and they have become popular platforms. Such platforms provide an opportunity for coverage, as individuals can be able to reach an audience with people around the globe. Similar to #MentalHealthAwareness and #MyStoryMatters, hashtags have created groups from which people can share their experiences and seek support.
However, what has to be noted is that not all stories are the same, and the same importance isn’t given to them. The unjust voice is always struggling to share their experience, and its presentation can be hard to cover with the prejudice of other louder voices. Hence, it is appropriate to disembarrass the storytelling processes from biases and prejudices and incorporate as many people of as many backgrounds as possible into the process.
The impact of storytelling on others who are suffering from mental health issues is like the most special kind of adhesive, which unites people, enhances their mood and, at the same time, gives all participants some lessons to ponder over and feel better. It’s like we are passing on the paddle of hope to the other party whenever we open up regarding such incidences.
It helps make the world slightly brighter and less of a confusing place to live. It is all about the provision of care, love, and defense in cases of need, among other forms of interdependence.
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