Here is an interesting link to what The President of the United States has to say about mental health. It’s hopeful but as to be expected it doesn’t promise much and doesn’t go as far as I would like it to, but then, given my background, I won’t be president anytime soon. Click the link for more details.
Obama urges openess concerning mental health
What would I have liked? Not just a repetition of one in four people having mental health issues once in their life but more how mental health is something not just those “one in four” have to watch but ALL OF US need to take care of just as we take care of dental health and pregnancy wellness. I say “one in four” because that’s the statistic I go by and have heard more often than “one in five.” Is the president not counting Alzheimers disease? Autism? Does he understand that everyone can learn how to take better care of their mind and emotions just as they do their backs and their knees?
The mind is part of us that we refuse to believe is vulnerable or diverse in its attributes. Black and white thinking is, “Either you’re crazy or you’re not!” What if the president admitted he smoked because he has a psychological addiction to nicotine, that he uses tobacco to deal with the stress and anxiety of a difficult job. He’s no different from the rest of us. Sometimes, when those stress relievers no longer help, we trip and maybe even get injured. What if he said, “I deserve to be able to see a therapist without people making fun of me or judging me.”
Lots of kids would do anything to avoid wearing glasses or having to go to special education because they hate being different. I wish that we weren’t a country based on perfection but one based on character. Maybe then we could see the worth in everyone, those with differently abled minds and diverse bodies who all wish to thrive but will need different supports to do so. What if people were really into their favorite teams rather than the star players? We all need community which is just another word for team. When we get older we will all need more assistance, but who will value doing this as long as we are focused on only what we can see – muscles, tans, money, clothes. The real wealth is inside and sometimes it’s tricky to find.
Don’t give up looking for it!
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