U.K. World Mental Health Day Rundown
Top stories from the U.K. for World Mental Health Day. You may find more by searching Google News.
Top stories from the U.K. for World Mental Health Day. You may find more by searching Google News.
I think the entire list of seven things provided by Mental Health First Aid below, is good, but this one, in particular, is something I think we all need to keep in mind:
“Do not be hostile or sarcastic when the person attempts to be responsive, but instead accept their responses as the best the person has to offer at that time.”
I think it’s fair to say that right now, most of us are dealing with some challenges. If ever there was a time to accept that replying to your text, or responding to a question you have might not be the foremost thing on someone’s mind, it’s now.
Between dealing with kids going back to school, and whatever that looks like, protests and violence, constant pandemic concerns around illness or loss of loved ones, and massive employment insecurity, there’s a lot going on that we are all trying to deal with as best as we can. I’d argue that we are all dealing with some pretty huge mental health challenges right now, so if you have people trying to stay in contact with you, to check in, or support you, give them a little grace. The fact that they are even trying right now should say a lot, and I hope we can all appreciate the imperfect efforts anyone puts in.
This is important work done by the Internet Watch Foundation, and I’m glad they see how important the mental health impact can be. “Our analysts see more distressing images in a day than most see in their lifetime. Day in, day out, we see many children whose peace of mind is ruined by an internet…
We have to have serious discussions about mental health resources, for adults and kids. This isn’t even about stigma or awareness, this is a system with fundamental flaws, that creates this lack of available, and affordable, resources. This is a society that is unable, and unwilling, to provide basic care for too many of its own members. Is that the society we want to live in? I hope not, but as long as we continue down a path where the best plan we can come up for a teenager struggling with suicidal thoughts is 17 days on a gurney, and sedated, inside of an ER, we are not that society.
Quite honestly, what Nathan writes here is true for everyone who is writing about mental health, or as a survivor. Sharing my story has been worthwhile in many ways, but there’s no denying that there’s a sense of exposure and vulnerability that accompanies it. The more open I’ve been, the more I’ve felt this way….
The headline really sort of says it all doesn’t it? Yes, it does. It highlights just how awful we have gotten when it comes to mental health issues, and what the consequences have been. Can you imagine any other cause of death having a 40% increase in 17 years and how many programs and resources…