The role of educators

Education can teach children and adults to recognize stress sensitivity and to seek help before psychiatric illnesses develop into serious symptoms. Learning to recognize the symptoms and knowing that they are very common is crucial. Delayed treatment often is caused by ignorance or shame. Seeking prompt medical help will be easier when stigma and discrimination end.

Student education will end the myths and the shame. When mental wellness facts are repeated from kindergarten through high school, our children and nation will understand brain truths. Educated students will learn that it is important to tell someone if they are having symptoms. The younger generation can protect both friends and family members by sharing information about mental illnesses. When students graduate with a firm understanding of mental wellness, stigma will end.

Only the child knows whether he is thinking about killing himself. Only the child knows if she is angry, worried, or fearful. Only the child knows if he is hearing things that others do not hear, or seeing things that others do not see. Thoughts and feelings are important in identifying brain problems, but only the child knows his or her thoughts and feelings. ….

Teaching young children that brains can get sick - and then get well - will end psychiatric misinformation and end so many societal problems. The prevailing stigma of today keeps people from reaching out even when they need help. Children who grow up receiving accurate mental illness information will not believe the myths and misinformation. They will learn about the many national leaders in many fields who had during their lives, or currently have, mental illnesses.