How do we fix the broken system?

Question

In America, mental illness is looked down upon. Mental illness isn't taught about or even looked at as a serious issue. This has lead to a lot of issues. We have many people suffering from depression and anxiety, yet most people think the fix is "getting over it". Many people can't even recognize the symptoms of someone who is depressed or has an anxiety disorder. To many, schizophrenics are scary and to be avoided at all costs because they can't function. People aren't educated enough to know that "Split" is just a movie. People with bipolar disorder are so crazy because they be nice one second then bite your head off the next. 
Mental illness is viewed as this entirely negative, evil thing because that's what TV shows and movies put forward. They portray the most "broken", the most evil, the most twisted, the most neglected and we don't have anything to say "Hey, those are just the ones that didn't get the right treatments or couldn't be saved. This is what is actually the norm." I've had friends say they were too scared to seek treatment for their depression and anxiety because they don't want to be labelled as crazy or shipped off to a mental hospital and force fed pills. There are too many people who don't have the access to mental health care, are on long waiting lists, or fully denied care. There are mentally ill people blowing people away because the system has failed them and on top of that, they've supplied them with a deadly weapon.
My question for you is, how do you think we should fix this? Do you think we should have mandatory classes, informational assemblies in school, etc? Do you think informing people and taking care of mentally ill people is an important issue? How important is it? If you have a mental illness feel free to share your experience if you are comfortable enough. 
I don't want this to be entirely geared towards Americans so if you're from a different country, how is mental health care there? If it's great, what does your country do? If it's horrible, how do you think it can be improved?

Answer

Education. 
Accurate representation in the media ( people with severe mental illnesses can live and do live normal lives, they're not to be feared ) 
Letting society know it's okay to talk about mental illnesses, it's not a shameful thing.

Answer

You can't fix what people don't want to change.

Looking at some of the comments here. You see the trope of "They need to learn to cope". People love to deny that mental health is a problem.

They blame it on trivial things without taking into account that a lot of mental illness is literally your brain is sick, there is something wrong with it, just like when you get sick and need surgery to get better, something is wrong.

So where education would be a wonderful thing to start with. If they choose to deny it in favour of their own bullshit views. Nothing will get better.

I also say this as someone who has suffered from mental illness for 16 years now.

Answer

Here's a relevant meme.
Seriously though, the only way to fix this is to somehow remove this idea that if you're mentally ill, you're crazy.

Also, pills are NEVER a first resort. Therapists and doctors will always use other methods first, a big one being cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

My psychologist and I were doing CBT, but I can no longer afford to see him at $210 AUD a session, and I've noticed my health is deteriorating a little.

Also, I find that people with mental illness are more empathetic, and somehow manage to be more of sound mind than others. People I know that aren't mentally ill tend to be more irrational, even though I do the majority of irrational thinking.

We are living, breathing, functioning people too, and deserve to be treated as such.

Answer

God, I could write an essay on this but I'll try to keep it brief and won't go into a ton of detail. Accurate representation in the media. And education on mental disorders and general mental hygiene. Let's get those community mental health clinics in place we were supposed to get 40-50 years ago. Mental health care is expensive. I don't even want to know how much it costs without insurance. Information and accessibility is key. We need to strip away the stigma of mental disorders and start treating them like what they are. Physical conditions.

I speak very openly about mine and am always more than happy to discuss them because it's important to me to show that a person can have a mental disorder or a few mental disorders and still live a fully functioning life. Sure, there are things I struggle with more than the average person, but goddammit, I can bet I have a better sense of my mental health than the average person because you can bet your ass that I'm not going down against my mental diagnoses without a gruesome fight. I'll go down swinging against my own brain.

Ok, I'll leave it there because there's a lot more I could say.

Answer

It starts at home and in school. If everyone is educated about mental health care and learn the symptoms and have sympathy for others then this would be a great start in avoiding mental health problems.

Answer

Educating people about mental illness is so so important. It shouldn't be forced on them, but people need to know. I think middle school/high school classes should have a unit on mental illness, enough to at least teach them the basics of what it is, and options to help treat/cope it. I think it's extremely important that people know that it's not always something that comes from your situation in life, it's a chemical imbalance in your brain, and can even be genetic. You could be smart, rich, have plenty of friends, and be depressed, anxious, bipolar, etc.
This stigma needs to be killed. People need to know that it presents itself in different forms- some people may lash out and show their emotions, it doesn't mean they're seeking attention. Some people may bottle it all up and you will never know what is wrong, it doesn't mean they don't have it. People need to know that what works for one person, will not work for the next, and all of these different options are okay. Medication and therapy are perfectly acceptable, if you're someone who can start exercising and change their routine and it helps the, that's great too, but that will not work for everyone.  
I've struggled with depression and anxiety for around 5-7 years (I was in denial part of the time, so it's hard to know for myself for sure), and because my mom didn't believe me for most of that time, I struggled so much harder than I would have if she would have listened to me when I first brought it up. 1.5, maybe 2 years ago I finally got her attention that it was something real with me and that I needed help, since the. she's done everything she's able to to try and help me. I am so lucky today that I have a good support system, it makes life a little more bearable. That being said, I think people also need to understand is that a good support system does not always mean someone will be less depressed, less anxious, or less anything else that they are going through.

Answer

Honestly I think the best way (just from experience) is for anyone that suffers from these things to be open to people asking questions and having people available to talk to openly about these things with from experience. No one will understand like the people that suffers from these things. There are so many times I'll see someone tweet something like "I think I have anxiety or depression but I don't want to say anything cause people who actually have it will attack me" everyone's mental illness is different. For me I have anxiety and got depressed for that, after being diagnosed I was terrified to do anything that would get my heart going cause I felt like I was going to die every time I had a panic attack. I even went to a cardiologist to have my heart thoroughly checked out ( I was set in every test possible being done) but what helped me was constantly taking about to to me loved ones and having someone who understands to cry to. And a year later I beat my anxiety and by beat I mean it no longer controls my life. Yeah I still get flare ups but I have ways to bring me back down. Starting support groups is an amazing way to help people who have questions or need someone to talk to. Anytime someone says anything about needing help with a mental illness I tell them that I am available for them to talk to ANYTIME! Sorry this was so long but this is something I'm very passionate about 🤗 lol

Answer

Education. Anything unknown can be scary, that's just human. I work in a psychiatric hospital and I have seen a bit of everything. Some people just don't realize what it's like...these people truly believe/see/hear things that we do not. That has to be so scary to go through life thinking that that is your reality.

Answer

Oh yeah, we definitely should fix it. I think mental health checkups should be a regular part of our healthcare routine, like how we go to the dentist every six months for a cleaning.

Answer

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with movies surrounded around mental health issues. I think the main focus is educating people because with education, people can know that these movies are just that, movies. These movies are just the extreme end of the spectrum.

I think it'll take a lot more than assemblies to make people understand though, because when people are presented with the information right then, they'll take it in, and then forget about it the next day or when it isn't right in front of them.

I also think people need to actually be comfortable enough to go to the doctors and have whatever they think they have actually confirmed, because too many people nowdays are self diagnosing themselves which I think is extremely annoying & wrong. That right there adds to the mental health stigma.

How do we fix the broken system?

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