Some of these things are so common that I think many of us probably say and hear them without even thinking about how they would sound to someone who is struggling with a mental health issue, going to therapy, or taking medication.
We should think about that more often, because remember, statistically speaking, there are plenty of those people around you every day.
I agree with a lot of what James has written in this article. Yes, we need to continue to talk about mental health. The attention the issue has grabbed has made a dent in attitudes and awareness, and there is more to do there.
But, despite all the talk and awareness, we still have a criminally low level of resources available actually to help people. All too often, people who hear these conversations and attend these events wind up looking for help, and finding none.
The point of this article is actually the opposite of the headline, it’s a bit tongue and cheek. However, it is a legitimate problem. People see mental hospitals as being full of dangerous people, “them”, but in reality there are people all around us who are dealing with mental illness and could use the resources…
We’ve seen a lot about ACE scores, and how these childhood traumas can lead to great difficulty throughout our lives. Edward shares his story, not just of his high ACE score, but that he also overcame it. “Of course, odds are just odds, and ACES did not assess the positive people and events that can…
For example, if we know that kids who don’t understand boundaries, are lonely, live in stressful family situations, and do not have open communication with other people in their lives, are more likely to be sexually abused, what does that mean when a teen comes out and is not accepted by their family? Or when a blended family becomes dysfunctional, or a kid with disabilities is not taught boundaries but kept hidden away from others?
You have kids who are lonely, who don’t feel safe and loved, who don’t understand boundaries, etc.
If a kid who’s lonely and lacking in self esteem is at risk. And a kid who identifies as LGBTQ+ is at risk, can we stop for a minute and consider that it’s not being LGBTQ+ that is a risk factor, it’s how much more likely that kid is to be lonely and lacking in self-esteem?
And thus, the cycle continues. When it shouldn’t. We know what it is about disabled kids, kids from blended families, or LGBTQ+ kids that make them more prone to abuse, mental health issues, and suicide. It’s not their reality, it’s the responses to their reality that create the risk factors. The things that make them more likely to be loners, disconnected from family support, lacking safe adults to communicate with, etc.
So maybe we should focus on being more supportive of all kids?
And, since we’re on the topic and it is June. Happy Pride!
Mental Health Needs Are Often Inseparable from Work Suicidal review – a harrowing look at a hidden epidemic Don’t be afraid to say the word ‘suicide’: A caring conversation can save lives Mental Health Month: Why You Should Care I am not my mental health condition – I’m a person living with it A conversation…
This seems perfectly logical to most of us here, but for so many people, it isn’t. “It is widely accepted that if you have a health problem, you would see a medical professional who specializes in that problem’s proper treatment. If you have high cholesterol or are at risk of a heart attack, you see…
