Boredom and Mental Illnesses

Think about it, no on second thoughts don't think about, it means you have too much time to think and that could be detrimental to your mental well-being.

But yes, do think about it.  How much is boredom attributed to the onset of mental unwellness or the further perpetration of that affliction?  There was an old saying my grandmother always used, Idle hands, idle mind and an Idle Mind is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands.  Don't you agree?


First I want to clear something up.  There are various stages in life where mental distress is prevalent and I'm talking mainly males here but it does apply equally to females but on a differing scale.  Teenagers can often be heard saying those timeless words "I'm Bored!" So how many of those teenagers get even more bored and act out their lives in a detrimental manner to such an extent that medical and psychological services are required?  Are they so bored and idle with it that they start to over think, over analyse, and start the road to depression?

Then there's mid life crisis, more prevalent in men, but women too suffer.  These men never say they are bored, they never act out their boredom and for all anyone knows they are normal but reserved.  Many are silent sufferers and the longer they suffer those boredom's (marriage, life, work, recreation) the more intense they become and once again they over think things, over analyse their lives and eventually too need medical, psychological and in many cases Coroner services.

The last is the end of life crisis.  Partner has gone, family has drifted away, friends are sick, dying, or passed on and they are bored.  Most will suffer from many physiological ailments that hamper their zest for life in their old age and they will start to shut down and in that shut down phase, boredom sets in and they have too much time to think, analyse and eventually come to some pretty rash decisions, all unnoticed.  The male is one vary vain beast.

So it's fair to say boredom then is a silent killer.  It meanders it's way into individuals, creates circumstances that lead to dire decisions being made, be they drugs, alcohol, dangerous liaisons, self harm and of course suicide.

So how to turn it around.  Like efforts being made by some organisations in this country (SPINZ, Key To Life Charitable Trust, Lifeline) we need to embrace communication, we need to be loyal friends, through thick and thin.  We need to be able to read the signs.  Sure not everyone is an expert, but with due diligence and education surely we can stop boredom in it's tracks and give people hope so they don't lapse into mental unwellness and a life of drugged up misery.