How Language Can Protect Your Mental Health
How Language Can Protect Your Mental Health Devon Delfino Updated on April 29, 2021 LIFESTYLE Social isolation. Work-from-home burnout. Public health-related stress. Political upheaval. If the past year has taught us anything, it’s that mental health matters and has become a central issue for many. But that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily become easier to talk about. In fact, according to Dr. Maysa Akbar, a clinical psychologist and chief diversity officer at the American Psychological Association, there’s another health crisis looming: the deterioration of mental health. She cites the compounding effects of the pandemic as well as ongoing racial reckoning in the US as among the major factors. While mental health doesn’t always feel easy to talk about, it’s become a more common concern; a longstanding historical stigma against open discussion of mental health issues is waning. “The data shows talking through our most difficult times, engaging in therapy, havi...