Quick Thought #23 – Change is Needed, but Callousness is Not

I know many mental health advocates have been calling for change. The current system doesn’t work for enough people. Resources are not available or affordable to far too many people. Treatments work for some, but many people struggling are stuck in a situation where we have nothing to offer them.

I know. I’ve been one of the people calling for change.

What we are witnessing now, however, is not the change we need. You don’t take a system that so many people rely on and burn it down without a replacement. You don’t cut Medicaid spending, consider eliminating SSRIs, eliminate programs that allow accommodations at work and school, and cut funding for mental health research with a vague promise to create something better “eventually.”

Too many people will not survive without those things. Imperfect as our current system is, it manages to keep plenty of people alive who might not otherwise be. Gutting it to cut spending is callous. As I have said many times, solving the mental health issues that plague the US will involve a lot of hard work, difficult conversations, and measured steps to create positive impacts for all of us. Adults need to be adults and have mature discussions about how to help as many suffering people as possible.

What we’re seeing from our government now is anything but maturity. This is a statement about how much we care for each other. Sadly, I’m beginning to think that too many people don’t care enough to try to prevent the deaths of thousands of people if it makes them uncomfortable. Their politics are more important than the lives of fellow humans.

That change is dehumanizing. It’s who we are in 2025, but I refuse to become that and will continue to argue for solutions that work for victims of abuse and those suffering from mental health issues. We deserve better than callousness.