Thoughts for the day...

[urbetterthanthem]

Getting help needs to be a blessing not a punishment. I think the most important thing about helping people is actually getting them to submit to and reach out for help. I also believe that many people regret saying they are suicidal because they sometimes end up locked in a mental hospital with a bunch of strangers...in an environment which is foreign and not always peaceful..then they often are forced to take drugs they don't want to. I think we need to remove the buyer's remorse from people who make the courageous move to seek help. Obviously, we can't give every person in dire straits a vacation to Club Med but not adding to their suffering with new sources of stress would be a good start. I am wondering if there are better ways to reach out to people who are turned off by the idea of some of the things that happen when you get caught up in the mental health system. One option I heard about which sounded promising was the advent of short term voluntary crisis centers where people can get help without feeling as at risk of losing their freedom or rights.

[4aReason]

Hadn't heard of that. It sounds like a good idea. I feel sorry for kids that end up being locked away by some judge or referral that got kickbacks to send them to a place like the Judge Rotenberg Center, that gets paid $264,000 per year per child. Services can be a big money maker to many. We have to stop letting ourselves, and the ones who are not able to protect themselves, keep from being exploited!

[Hidden]

Yeah, wish we had one in our country. But sad to say. Depression is still a sensitive topic that most people doesn't want to admit and the person suffering gets judged a lot.

And yes, most are thrown into mental institutions.

[MrZee]

Yes I hear you. Reaching out for help IS essential for those who suffer and really need it.

It saddens me that I had a great uncle that died before I was born. He was a prisoner in an internment camp during WWII under deplorable conditions. After the camp was liberated he was brought home to recover. His PTSD and mental health never recovered. Sadly he was institutionalized. Eventually he had hung himself. That was 1956 and back then mental health was always pushed way on the back burner. Today to some extent it still is.

As for me I choose to be vigilant with my mental health. I’ve been with the same therapist for over 3 decades and still I benefit from each session.

When I reach out to others who have mental health challenges, I gently suggest to them to reach out for help. Some do. And some don’t.

I hope as time progresses that our society pays more attention to good treatment of mental health and has a better understanding of those who need help.

And yes, seeking good help is a blessing in itself.

Best,

MZ