Mental health is a topic that is very important to me; specifically, the stigmas that surround mental illnesses and mental health awareness. During the pandemic, my brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Without a doubt, stigmas affected my brother’s outlook on his life; there would be times he would lash out. Over time, I could feel myself becoming more and more distant from my brother; I did not want to be near someone who kept hurting me. I could only imagine the pain that he must have been in. At the current moment, my brother is doing quite well and we are even trying to reconnect. I admit that I have never discussed this topic for fear of others starting to have negative attitudes towards me because of my brother. This makes me feel guilty. As the guilt has been slowly eating away at me, I have realized that we need to be more open to discussion about mental health. Luckily, the topic of mental health is becoming increasingly popular in modern society and some musicians even talk about their own mental health problems as a way to raise awareness on the importance of the topic. One such artist is Ren Gill with his song “Hi Ren.” The song “Hi Ren” consists of a back and forth conversation between two conflicting personified emotions of the artist; a pessimistic side and an optimistic side. The conversation starts out as an argument and only gets more aggressive as time goes on. However, by the end of the song, there is a shift in tone; the “pessimistic side” and the “optimistic side” fade out while something else comes in that addresses the facts of the situation. This new presence of “truth” reminds us that we are human, we are not perfect, we will suffer and that that is okay. By using this song as an example, we can remind ourselves of these facts and not feel ashamed to take care of ourselves. “Putting yourself first” or prioritizing self-compassion and taking care of one’s own mental health is sometimes regarded as being too “self-centered” or “narcissistic.” However, being kind to yourself can actually help reduce the impact of mental health stigmas. Songs such as Ren’s “Hi Ren” open up this mental health related conversation to the general public and generate a “first step” to a society more open to discussing the topic of mental health and make people feel more connected rather than isolated.
Stigmas and mental health literacy impacts one’s views on themself as well as views on receiving help. There are many different kinds of stigma such as public stigma, perceived stigma, and self-stigma. Public stigma is the negative beliefs and attitudes held by the general public towards people with mental illnesses. Perceived stigma is someone’s belief that others will treat them differently after learning about their mental illness. Self-stigma is a reflection of public stigma towards oneself; people will develop negative attitudes towards themselves as a result of the negative attitudes shown towards them (Ross, et al.). All these stigmas work together to create the treatment stigma which causes people to not seek out mental health help. This is extremely damaging because mental health and mental illnesses are not something that can be dealt with by oneself. In his song, Ren implies a treatment stigma, “You think those doctors are really there to guide you?” (“Hi Ren”). It is easy to start to question a doctor’s advice when you yourself do not understand your mental illness. The doctor may seem to be saying words to only make you feel better like “you are doing a great job.” This perceived insincerity would also result in a lack of trust. A lack of trust in the doctor and treatment add to the treatment stigma. This lack of trust is partially due to poor mental health literacy. Poor mental health literacy affects stigma levels which in turn “creates a barrier to treatment seeking” (Ross, et al.). Mental health literacy can impact whether or not someone is going to get treatment for their mental health. Mental health literacy is about understanding the realities of mental health. This can be difficult and could even lead to a fear of someone finding out that they have a mental illness; however, it is necessary as it reduces public stigma (Ross, et al). Reducing public stigma should be the main concern and focus of mental health awareness as it is a stigma that affects every person. Lowering the public stigma could cause a domino effect and reduce other forms of stigma. More importantly, mental health awareness allows for a much needed conversation on the subject of mental health. In his song, Ren implies that he hopes his music will positively impact the listener, “That I won’t retire, I’ll stand in your fire, inspire the weak to be strong” (“Hi Ren”). Ren conveys to the listener that they have the power to shape their own life. The listener can become “strong” when they start living for themselves and making their own decisions; for example, getting treatment if they need treatment or not judging someone for a mental illness simply because society promotes harsh judgment of others. Ren’s song is one way of raising awareness and generating a conversation. The topic of mental health portrayed in media such as articles and news channels do not attract everyone. Instead popular media such as songs and movies attract a much broader audience. This allows for more people to become literate on the subject of mental health and reduce the public stigma. Reducing stigma would allow for more people to seek treatment and to not feel isolated because of a mental illness.
Self-compassion, mindfulness, and psychological flexibility are tools that allow people to deal with the difficulties of navigating their mental health. Self-compassion is associated with lower levels of self-stigma and higher levels of personal and clinical recovery (Chan et al.). A low self-stigma can result in a low treatment stigma. Thus, people are more likely to accept help for mental health by showing self-compassion rather than self-judgment. Self-compassion is a tool that has been proven to positively impact mental health. Not only does it allow for more people to get help, self-compassion changes the way people look at themselves. Reducing the self-stigma is extremely important as it relates to a person’s outlook on their life. A lower self-stigma indicates a more positive outlook on life. In his song, Ren demonstrates how self-compassion has changed his life, “It was never really a battle for me to win, it was an eternal dance/And like a dance, the more rigid I became, the harder it got/The more I cursed my clumsy footsteps, the more I struggled/So I got older and I learned to relax/And I learned to soften and that dance got easier” (“Hi Ren”). Learning to “relax” by allowing oneself to have self-compassion does not change life’s difficulties, but it does change how those difficulties are dealt with. By handling challenges in life with kindness and respect for oneself, the challenges can be seen as less menacing; thus, one is able to live a more enjoyable life. Mindfulness through psychological flexibility is also associated with lower levels of self-stigma and higher levels of personal and clinical recovery (Chan et al.). Psychological flexibility is about “the mindful awareness and nonjudgmental acceptance of what is present at the moment, regardless of its positive or negative nature” (Chan et al.). Mindfulness through psychological flexibility is all about a person being “present” and acknowledging everything that is happening. It is about understanding the circumstances or facts of a situation. Understanding the facts of a mental health related situation can be difficult to deal with at first. Wanting to disbelieve a diagnosis and instead believing that those who do believe the diagnosis have some form of bad intention is quite an understandable response. However, only once the facts become accepted can someone start to help themselves. In his song, Ren confidently discusses the realities of his mental health. By doing so, Ren shows the listener that it is okay to have mental health related concerns. This can help the listener start to be more mindful and accept the realities of their own mental health.
Self-compassion is a beneficial tool to help people understand that there is no shame in having mental health problems. Self-compassion revolves around “showing concern for our distress” (Neff). It is about caring for yourself and acknowledging your struggles rather than judging yourself for having those struggles (Neff). We show compassion towards other people all the time, yet when it comes to ourselves, we often become more judgmental. This judgment results in feeling guilty and ashamed of something that cannot be controlled. Excessive judgment only leads down a dark path. In his song, Ren discusses the effects of excessive self-judgment, “As I got older, I realized that there were no real winners/And there were no real losers in physiological warfare/But there were victims” (“Hi Ren”). Self-judgment solves nothing; it is a waste of time that only leaves people feeling hurt. This self-inflicted pain of self-judgment is not usually acknowledged as it is something that is so common. Instead, we should try making self-compassion be the go-to rather than self-judgment. Through self-compassion, we are able to address the same situation, but with kindness rather than hostility. “Common humanity” is an important element of self-compassion that allows us to not feel isolated (Neff). The main goal of self-compassion is to realize that we are all human; “common humanity” is what connects every person. It is easy to feel alone when there are so many stigmas surrounding mental health. These stigmas are isolating and evoke negative feelings such as shame and fear. A connection as small as “common humanity” helps combat stigmas as many more connections can be found within common humanity such as emotions and lived experiences. In his song, Ren opens up about his own suffering, “I was made to be tested and twisted/I was made to be broken and beat” (“Hi Ren”). By discussing how he himself has suffered, Ren creates a connection with the listener. Suffering is a common shared experience. By knowing that other people are suffering, we are able to form connections that make us feel less isolated. These connections make us understand that we are human, that we will experience joy, suffering, and everything in between.
Self-compassion is not narcissistic or just someone being “self-centered,” it is about understanding your humanness. People may not want to show self-compassion for fear of not only being labeled but also becoming narcissistic. In his song, Ren exposes his “pessimistic side’s” own thoughts on the matter, “Ren, your music is so self-centered” (“Hi Ren”). Ren’s form of self-compassion by making music about his mental health is being misunderstood as narcissism. Confusing self-compassion with narcissism is a common occurrence. However, the people who think that they might be a narcissist for showing self-compassion are definitely not narcissists; narcissistic people would not question or believe that they are narcissistic. As previously stated, self-judgment is quite common. It is customary and easy and yet so harmful to judge oneself in the worst way possible. This is the direct opposite of self-compassion; no kindness is being shown to oneself. Receiving kindness is a human need and thus self-compassion should be considered one as well.
As previously discussed, the topic of mental health is becoming increasingly mentioned in different forms of media. Songs such as Ren’s “Hi Ren” help to spread mental health awareness in an open and inviting way. The listener learns about a personal experience, feels connected to others also suffering from mental health related problems, and then understands that there is nothing wrong with being concerned about mental health. Stigmas are isolating, they separate people because of perceived differences. Through self-compassion, we are able to see the similarities between people; we are able to view our shared human experiences and lower the power of the stigma. When the stigma loosens its grasp on us, we are able to perceive the kindness that we deserve and understand that we are all connected. In the words of Ren, “We must not forget that we are human beings” (“Hi Ren”).