People Treat Mental Illness Differently Than Physical Illness

Have you ever noticed how people usually react differently when someone complains about a physical illness as opposed to mental illness? Oddly enough, emotional pain is often seen as something that does not really exist, and sometimes people think that the people suffering from it are just making things up or even simply have some loose screw and just need to get their act together.

I think if people are going to recommend herbal teas when feeling down, might as well do the same for the physical counterpart because not just because you are unable to “see” the pain it doesn’t mean it is not there. In fact, there have now been studies that have found that mental or emotional pain is greater than physical, so I think it deserves more attention than the usual other way around.

Here are some interesting graphics to illustrate this:

1. I’m not feeling well today…

Physical Illness

Mental Illness

2. I didn’t start feeling better until I found the right medication…

Physical Illness

Mental Illness

3. I couldn’t get out of bed for a week. I felt so terrible.

Physical Illness

Mental Illness

source: How People Treat Mental Illness Vs. How They Treat Physical Illness | Image credits: Haejin Park for BuzzFeed