Mental Health Care & The Future

Since being diagnosed with mental health issues in 2008 I have dedicated many years to doing research and trying to stay current with mental health care treatment and medications that are available to the general public.

We know so much more about the brain thanks to research that has been done over the years. For a long time it was thought that once the brain was changed or damaged it was impossible to repair. Medical science has taught us a great deal about Neuroplasticity, a lot more than we knew even as little as 20 years ago. I'm certain the future looks bright for those generations of people who will come into the world with their own mental health battles.

Unfortunately as far as the United States is concerned, we have two major hurdles to overcome. The first is overcoming the obstacles from pharmaceutical companies who are afraid of losing tons of money if people with mental illness rely less on medication and more on other therapies, and the second is the obstacles from politicians who go to Great lengths in order to protect the aforementioned obstacle. But I believe that this country will absolutely knock those walls down one day paving a clear road to alternative treatments that have already been proven to work and other treatments that research has just begun.

As a Kidney cancer survivor I know what it's like to have a particular type of diseas that, at one time, there was no cure for. Now in many cases it's 100% treatable. All said, when I feel at my lowest I always remind myself that the future is bright and my, yet to be born, grandchildren will not have to greatly endure this disease. It may not be much, and I may not live to see it, but it's one of the things that helps me get through the day.

[Blueruth]

right on !

[Dolphin14]

Great points. I think we need to work as a team with our MD. No one should be forced to take meds if they don't want them. So we have control over that one

🐬

[JellyBean1234]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 This! I’m ready to begin a movement when you are!!!

[Dani20192022]

Love your post. It is very true. I was misdiagnosed for years over medicated etc. I was the " problem," The truth,- I had trauma and PTSD. I really more on behavioral interventions . I do take sertraline . Thank for your inspiring post.

[Hidden in reply to Dani20192022]

Most of my days are full of sadness and anxiety, like most of us in this community. I have never, ever, responded positively to any medication I have ever been on. From paxil to lithium and everything in between. Like you, many of us are extremely overmedicated which often makes it difficult, and in certain situations almost impossible, to be productive and even participate in other treatments that you may need such as cognitive therapy. If you are over medicated it keeps you in zombieland so you're not going to be able to function in any productive manner. Mental health medications are big business in this country so there's no real incentive to help us in any other way, other than to medicate, medicate and continue to medicate. All other alternatives are seen as second choices, if they're even considered at all. Many years of research, from the 1950s, 1960s, and even earlier than that, have proven that there are alternatives to mental health treatment other than what is currently made available that actually do work. At the very least, they work much, much better than what we have access to now. So it's no new news that many mental health disorders are treatable, unfortunately this country has gotten in the way. But this is not a political conversation, it's one of hope for the future in the treatment of mental health disorders. You hang in there my friend, I know good things will come, especially for the treatment of PTSD..... It's only a matter of time

[Dani20192022]

I tapered off Clonazepam under medical supervision. It began in August 2017. My last dose was early January 2018. I had been on various anxiolytic for years. I never resumed them. I understand how you feel .I get overwhelmed by too many demand interruptions expectations that are not realistic. Constantly having to change due to this crisis the world is in. You hang there too. My authentic self came forward years ago . I do now stand up for myself say no set boundaries.