Sharing – Is Mental Health Stigma Decreasing? It’s Complicated

Sharing – Is Mental Health Stigma Decreasing? It’s Complicated

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

We can, and should, do everything we can to get out good information and share the truth about mental health issues. We can, and should, share our own stories of the mental health issues we’ve survived, especially those of us who have had many of these issues due to the trauma we suffered.

But that will never be enough for some people. Knowing the truth about these issues, and knowing what people need in terms of non-stigmatizing support won’t be enough to change their actual behavior. The very topic(s) will make them uncomfortable and they will act out of that discomfort instead of relying on what they know. They will put their own comfort above any consideration of how stigmatizing their actions and words are because they simply cannot handle even the slightest discomfort in their lives.

That is their weakness, not ours.

Shared Links (weekly) Dec. 26, 2021

Shared Links (weekly) Dec. 26, 2021

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute
Shared Links (weekly) Dec. 12, 2021

Shared Links (weekly) Dec. 12, 2021

ByMikeM Reading Time: 1 minute

Sharing – Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warns about youth mental health

Sharing – Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warns about youth mental health

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

I appreciate the fact that the current Surgeon General seems to understand that dealing with mental health issues in the US is not going to be one simple thing that makes it all better. This quote demonstrates that he understands that the problem is multi-dimensional and that any solution will also have to be:

Sharing – Parents protesting ‘critical race theory’ identify a new target: Mental health programs

Sharing – Parents protesting ‘critical race theory’ identify a new target: Mental health programs

ByMikeM Reading Time: 3 minutes

Maybe, most importantly, these parents seem to think they know better, that the mental health of their kids is something they can handle on their own. We know that isn’t true. We know the number of teens who have considered suicide is much higher than the number of parents who think their teen has. That doesn’t suggest that what we’ve been doing is working, it suggests that having mental health resources available at school is a net positive for everyone.

But that fact appears to be no match compared to stigma and conspiracy theories.

Sharing – We Need More Comprehensive Suicide Prevention

Sharing – We Need More Comprehensive Suicide Prevention

ByMikeM Reading Time: 2 minutes

I, obviously, agree. Awareness is great. Ending stigma, and having a crisis resource is great. It’s also not enough. What are we doing after the immediate crisis to prevent the next one, or to provide treatment and resources for all of the people who aren’t getting any now? What are we doing to accommodate people in the workplace who need to see a therapist on the regular, or need to be medicated and have some accommodation made? What are insurance companies doing to make sure mental health coverage is on par with physical health coverage, and who is enforcing the law when it isn’t? What are we doing to support families and loved ones who are doing their best to support people dealing with mental health issues?

As long as there are still so many not getting the help they need, the obvious answer to all of these questions is, not enough.