The Ripple Effect of Mental Health
May 27, 2025
How often do you think about, or more importantly, care about your mental health? While it may be easy to ignore our mental health, it is certainly not less important than our physical health. In the past few decades, we have finally come to understand that our physical and mental health are not separate – they are closely interwoven and interdependent – we are one being. Our mental health impacts our physical health, and our physical health impacts our mental health.
All too often, we have separate ways of seeing mental and physical health. Unlike many physical health issues, mental health difficulties can be hard to see and even harder to acknowledge. Not only are the signs and symptoms of mental difficulties often less evident, the stigma, shame, and embarrassment of struggling with mental health issues often cause those who suffer to hide their pain. It’s hard to prove you’re injured when your wounds don’t bleed.
In a culture that does not readily acknowledge mental health difficulties, we are led to believe that we should just try harder, change our life circumstances, exercise more, sleep less, read another self-help book, or if all else fails, just get over it. Sadly, it’s easy to see how those who truly struggle to get through day after day blame themselves for just not being able to cope with life like everybody else does – or at least seem to.
Mental health issues can become so habituated that it can be hard to imagine a life without chronic fear and anxiety or the weight of depression, two of the most common mental health symptoms. According to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% by age 24*.
Consider the implications of these facts in the context of a young person who has been sexually abused. The weight of being harmed so deeply and carrying the secret throughout childhood and into adulthood often causes survivors to believe this is all of life they will ever know. The Adverse Childhood Experiences longitudinal study confirms that trauma, among other adverse experiences in childhood, have a lasting and significant effect on both mental and physical health. This knowledge deserves our attention.
What would it be like if we gave equal attention to both our mental and physical health? Would the stigma that exists around seeking health for mental health concerns be reduced? Would we be more aware of seeing the signs of mental suffering in ourselves and others and seek help more readily? Would we be more vigilant to keep children safe from experiences that cast a long shadow of suffering in every part of their lives? Would we make sure that basic health care includes both physical and mental health support?
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. Perhaps designating a month to shine a light on the impact that mental health issues have on each of us and our fellow human beings brings this vitally important topic into our view. We understand, however, that mental health suffering occurs every day of every year. I believe the challenge for all of us is to care about mental health - ours and those we care about. Reach out, ask for help and encourage those around you who are struggling to ask for help. Be a part of the ripple effect of healing for you and for your community.
Janice Palm, LMHC, Executive Director
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I believe the challenge for all of us is to care about mental health - ours and those we care about. Reach out, ask for help and encourage those around you who are struggling to ask for help. Be a part of the ripple effect of healing for you and for your community.