Buenos Aires is the psychoanalysis capital of the world. Even the therapists have therapists. Today, October 10, is World Mental Health Day or Blue Day, which aims to educate unaware individuals on mental health issues – an often-taboo topic. Imagine if the world looked at the importance of mental health like the residents of Buenos Aires, where therapy sessions cost about $20 per hour and it’s normal to see a shrink? An estimated 450-million people living around the world suffer from a mental or neurological disorder. Yet, these illnesses remain some of the most unrecognized and under-reported health problems. People continue to suffer silently because they are unable to access services they require, or they worry about the social stigma surrounding their disorder. But today is about doing something for your own mental health, which is just as important as your physical health, as well as recognising those suffering from a mental illness. Over one million Australian adults and 100,000 youth suffer from depression each year and, on average, 20% of people will experience depression at least once in their life. Whilst they are not physically or mentally able to function within normal society, sufferers of depression end up with no means of support and are often depicted as social outcasts. Needless to say, the sufferer ends up in a cycle of depression and poverty that is usually hard to break without some sort of assistance. But mental health and stability affects even those who are not clinically diagnosed with a certain type of mental illness. That’s why you should do something for yourself today – to benefit your mental health. Go for a walk, do a yoga class, see a movie, treat yourself to dinner or catch up with friends. Imagine if you could ring up work and call in for a mental-health day, just as you would call in sick?
