I have written about this myself, the article headlines are always going to put this in a way that makes you want to click and read it, even when the effect is super small, and even more so when it’s a hot-button issues like social media. “Whenever we learn that something has an effect, it’s…
Hmm, do you have a mental health playlist? After reading the article below I’m going to have to go see what Spotify thinks makes for a Wellness playlist for me looks like. It may not look exactly like the one in the article below, or what many other folks would put on their’s because well,…
I would agree that maybe the best way to navigate today is to be offline, and just turn off the TV and do something else all day. (Especially if you’ve already voted.) Of course, some of us will be working, and might need to be online a little bit, so the resources shared in the…
This is a little treasure trove of good information. “Over on Reddit, teachers are weighing in with what they’ve seen over the years and what provoked them to report suspected abuse or toxic home life. Many educators noted similar themes: acting out, avoiding going home, hunger, and a change in student’s appearance.” If you’re a…
Again, I get that this sounds ridiculous to talk about an individual’s mental health in terms of what they offer in terms of productivity, and not in terms of them just being a human being and having value.
It sounds ridiculous because it is ridiculous. But, it is also the language of business. Look, your employer only started offering things like flu shots and health screenings because sick employees don’t get much work done, and cost more in insurance premiums, not because the company suddenly started caring about having healthy employees. That’s the reality.
It would be nice if employers did these things, and wanted to also invest in mental health resources, just because it’s the best thing for all of us as individuals and as a society, and likely some employers do. Others won’t get involved until it benefits them.
So, we speak to them in the language they understand. Because we need the money, the “investment”, now. We can’t wait for the whole world to agree that they need to do it because it’s the right thing to do.
Too many people will go without while we wait for the perfect solution. We have to take the imperfect for now.
Every survivor has the freedom to choose how, when, and in what detail, they want to share their story. You can ask for more, but you also have to respect the survivor’s choice to not answer. They don’t owe you that. The only time it’s really even appropriate to press for details if you’re a criminal prosecutor trying to help the survivor bring the abuser to justice.
Outside of that very specific situation? No, we don’t owe you anything. You can support a survivor without knowing all the details. In fact, respecting their boundaries around what they decide to share, is one great way to support them in their healing. They’ve already had too many people not respect their boundaries.
