347- Beyond stats and dx

Se often hear statistics about how many people suffer from mental illness. Campaigns aiming to get rid of stigma and to get politicians involved and to help them understand that there are so many millions of us who suffer from mental illnesses also use these stats. We often hear that we are 1 in 4, meaning that 25% of the population is known to suffer from one or several mental illnesses.

We also discuss the importance of proper diagnosis as a tool, ideally, for a person to get the adequate help, therapy and sometimes medication, and this is true.


But, beyond diagnosis and statistics - which may or may not be accurate numbers if the 1:4 is the tip of an invisible iceberg - we mustn't forget that we are far more than any sums - those which pertain to our mental illnesses, and the statistical data which may help research and provide, under the right political environment, proper medical coverage. 

What I want to come to is that beyond all this, we mustn't forget that we are simply... people. We have thoughts, feelings, experiences, talents and skills, that although might be results or accompanied by our aspects of struggles with mental health issues, we are still and foremost people. 

This is really the crux of my thought right now, so I'll leave you with this short entry and remainder of Aristotle's phrase "the whole is more than the sum of its parts" with this extension of my own to "the one person stands for itself, beyond its descriptive words, be it qualities and flaws, diagnosis', or a number in any statistical data ; we are all unique individuals".