This week’s table talk was a pretty open and honest discussion about mental health. The starting point of the conversion was about the artist Jennifer Ivanovic who creates art with the intention of erasing the stigma surrounding mental illness. A few months ago, I visited the Boston Museum of Science which had an entire art exhibit dedicated to mental illness. It was interesting to see how in recent years, psychology and mental health is being more incorporated into the hard sciences. On one hand it dehumanises an individual’s struggles, but it also can help legitimise it in a way. For example, a lot of people don’t believe in clinical depression or think it is equivalent to being sad for a brief amount of time. In reality, the symptoms of depression arise from chemical imbalances of hormones and neurotransmitters in the brain. As a biomedical engineer, I tend to approach mental health from a biology perspective, especially in the context of developing antidepressant drug treatments of improved efficacy. It was very interesting to hear others’ thoughts on this subject.

In my opinion, mental illness has been de-stigmatised a little bit within the last decade and I would attribute a lot of that to social media. The internet allows people to communicate, anonymously if they so wish, about their problems without the fears and concerns usually inhibiting someone from being open. Celebrities and other influencers also have a big impact when they speak out about mental health and give advise about seeking help. For example, NBA star Kevin Love penned this message just today about panic attacks, seeking therapy, and the stigma surrounding mental health.

At the end of the table talk, we each went around and said one word to redefine mental illness in a positive way. Words like strength, perseverance, and individuality were offered. Since language and connotations are so powerful, it is important to be cognizant of the words we use to define ourselves and others.