You’ll see this chart a lot from us moving forward. It accurately encapsulates the change in philosophy we are pushing so hard for in this space. Inclusion, not labels, is the answer to how we will reverse the trends that have been getting more negative over the past few decades. If we just talk about “squashing stigma,” we are hammering home over and over that there is separation. People do to not want to be labeled.
It’s time we stop thinking about Mental Health as those with disorders vs those who are healthy. We are ALL on the Mental Health Continuum, based on life challenges we ALL face, from genetics to life experiences to physical traumas. Those challenges affect our mental health – ALL of us. Disorder may happen to some, more frequently in the “struggling” phase of the spectrum, but it can also rear its ugly head anywhere on this chart.
#SameHere, we are all on the continuum, together! We ALL face challenges, we ALL would like to thrive, but those challenges we ALL face, often slide us back a bit.
Let’s get away from labels separating us. They may be helpful in diagnosis when we need to decide on specific treatment plans, but if we talk about this topic as a “sick category with disorders” vs “a healthy category” we will get nowhere in terms of reversing the trends. Let’s acknowledge, at a minimum: #weareallalittlecrazy and that’s ok!
