“Mental pain is less dramatic than physical pain, but it is more common and also harder to bear. The frequent attempt to conceal mental pain increases the burden: It is easier to say ‘My tooth is aching’ than to say ‘My heart is broken.’”

C. S. Lewis, 1940

 

According to the National Institute of Mental Health in 2014 there were around 43.6 million adults in the U.S with a mental illness. I have used public transport everyday during these two weeks in Austin and it caught my attention that many people in the buses are speaking alone or they look as if they have a mental illness. I questioned myself if it was a normal situation here and what the government is doing to deal with this situation. I really think that mental health is just as important as physical health.

 This Saturday we were taken to the Bullock State History Museum. There is a special exhibition about mental illness. I found it very interesting as they try to make us think about mental illness. There are different activities you can do and realize how people with this problem face life. With this exhibition the government is trying to make people conscious about mental problems and remind us that we need to care about our mind as much as we care about our physical health. If you have the opportunity to go, do it!