The stress of financial instability is not something that we can eliminate with positive vibes. Being on the verge of poverty or in poverty is a mental health risk factor unto itself. No self-help apps will provide for you if you’re laid off or prevent you from becoming homeless or hungry as the cost of living continues to outpace your income.
As societies, we don’t care enough to do the hard work required to change it. If we cared, we wouldn’t have years and years of stories like this. We wouldn’t have millions of people having to choose between eating and their mental health or being dumped into a system that offers no help.
But we do, and very few leaders are even talking about making the massive investments necessary to overhaul the system.
Because we don’t care.
This brief review from Canada piqued my interest because while we tend to read a lot about addiction, one of the points of view we don’t get enough is from the addict.
From their book description, I thought it might interest the many readers who struggle with addictions themselves or know someone who is dealing with them now.
Kids who show the signs of struggling with mental health issues do a heck of a lot better if we intervene. Sadly, we don’t do it enough. Sometimes it’s because we don’t have any intervention to offer them. There are no resources available to far too many families. Other times parents and adults are afraid to look for help due to the stigma associated with mental health issues, hoping the kid will grow out of it.
I’m a firm believer that we don’t need any kind of special permission to talk about mental health and the stories of people dealing with mental health issues any day that we want to, but I also wanted to bring a couple of special days that are being set aside in Canada and the UK for the purpose.
The resources listed are specific to Canada, but I looked at the booklet and I think there is a lot of really useful information for male survivors, or anyone trying to support male survivors.
