After what was a difficult week for mental health on a public stage….w a number of high profile losses…I figured this was an important topic to address as we close out a Sunday.
Those who we choose to invest in the most – invest the most in themselves.
And in a way that line is kinda both confusing & clear all at the same time as it pertains to the topic of MH. Why?
If we look at those very public losses this week – on the one hand the reaction might be: those were the last folks we would have expected to lose this way. They appeared to be the brightest shining stars among us. So…even if we upped the investment in MH services & programming, they’re the “last” who may have used them extensively to invest in themselves.
But isn’t that kinda the point? That the system shouldn’t be focused on “who the problem kids are”….or who the adult “affected ones,” are?
Mental health is a topic for EVERYONE. It’s the reason we hashtags “5in5” in every post, instead of the “1in5” stat we hear related to mental illness all the time.
There’s not a person who doesn’t experience challenging life events that impact their MH. And while that may not always LEAD to mental illness, what we can say is, sadly, we lose so many who were never diagnosed…who we “never would have thought…no, not them.”
And so, the investment in even a baseline understanding of how stress & trauma impact us all, leading to neurobiological changes, leading to all kinds of susceptibility – NEEDS to be made for all.
If you grew up in the era of: the guidance counselor calling only the “problem kids” out of class for their session, & this was the main focus at school, you know what I mean. How are kids supposed to invest in their own MH, if we don’t invest in them – bc they are the “good kids”…the “high achievers.”
Everyone is susceptible & sadly until we make an investment in everyone, not everyone is going to know to make an investment in themselves when it comes to this vital HEALTH topic.
