When mental health takes the back seat

How many of us meet Maslow's hierarchy of needs in today's world?

Let's be realistic; as simple as it seems, not many people can completely meet the basic human needs: air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing and reproduction that should be easily accessible to all. According to Abraham Maslow, the needs lower down the hierarchy are to be satisfied before the individual can attend to the higher hierarchy needs. This made me wonder how many people in developing countries and even the West never arrive at the opportunity of experiencing the needs higher on the hierarchy. When I first encountered this theory, my first thought was no way this was written with people like me in mind. It is all great coming up with amazing theories, but when these are only applicable or accessible to a few, it makes me wonder what's is the agenda (just my conspiracy mindset). Systems and structures are in place to keep the masses grasping for the bottom two tiers without ever fully experiencing the third and the top two tiers. Trying to educate people about mental health issues when they have not eaten, have clean water, or have a safe place to sleep is very hard. Mental health issues for these people will be taking the back seat!

Nevertheless, mental health awareness is still paramount because mental health affects how we think, feel and act. The decisions we make that influence society are based on the state of our mental health. Being mentally healthy may allow us to strive towards meeting the self-actualisation stage, an individual's full and most significant potential.

Healthy mental health of individuals equals a healthy society.