Mental Health Defined & Discussed

           I started my new master's program last month and as such, I haven't had much time to free write. However, this is a response to a discussion question from week one in my current course. I thought it was interesting (and written well enough) to show you all here. Enjoy, and I will hopefully catch up with a true rant soon!

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             “Mental health” as I would define it would be “contentment”. Of course that word alone falls far short of a comprehensive definition. If I were to elaborate I would state that “mental health” is the ability to have homeostatic functioning of the mind particularly in the areas of cognition, and behavior defined by age appropriate socioemotional maturity. This definition would also encompass normative traits such as resilience, stress tolerance and typical response to both positive and negative stimuli.  

            Certainly there are stigmas within the field of mental health. To this day mental health still exists as both terror-invoking and grossly misinterpreted by the public (Kinsella & Kinsella, 2015).  Unfortunately, these stereotypical labels fall on both patients and practitioners. For example, those who are in the field who are all too often referred to by such colorful nicknames as “shrinks” or “quacks”. Most people probably think a counselor who bills competitively for their rate is “money hungry” or “playing the insurance company”.

            Moreover, there are also stigmas attached to those seeking treatment. Such as anyone suffering from addiction issues being labeled a “junkie”, “boozer” or “methhead”. Along with these names come the ideas that addicts are inherently bad, criminalized and deemed by many to be destined to fail. Many authors have pointed to this problem as being one that spans the globe and causes real damage to those that have to cope with the negative connotation their disease brings (Henderson & Gronholm, 2018).

            What I have found personally interesting regarding the idea of stigmas, is that they exist in varying dimensions amongst substance abusers as a sort of “pecking order”. During my undergrad at a treatment facility I met many an alcoholic that would shake their heads in disgust and say, “At least I’m not that guy, he’s got real problems, he’s a heroin addict.” Or the opiate user who lost their job judging another that had their house foreclosed on as more severe, and thus worthy of disdain.

            In reality, I believe we all carry around some measure of these disorders. There might be a gentlemen who has to check to see if he shut his garage as he pulled out of his driveway 3 times before actually leaving for work, and then there’s the gentlemen who has been diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder.  The only thing that’s separates “us” from “them” is severity and impact on quality of life. The idea of negatively rooted stigmas being associated with mental health is therefore cumbersome.  After all, we are all walking around with the same grey matter between our ears.

            As far as “why” these stigmas exist, it is simply due to misinformation and ignorance. Often times people fear and thus misconstrue what they do not understand. This of course leads to falsehoods being believed as fact. As professionals in the field of mental health it is a small part of our job to help dispel these myths as we encounter them.

Used from allinahealth.org

References

Henderson, C., & Gronholm, P. C. (2018). Mental Health Related Stigma as a ‘Wicked Problem’: The Need to Address Stigma and Consider the Consequences. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 1158, https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsdoj&AN=edsdoj.b88ccbf97dcc476d81c0fff7efae42cf&site=eds-live&scope=site

Kinsella, C., & Kinsella, C. (2015). Introducing Mental Health, Second Edition : A Practical Guide. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

The Aim of Blame (plus things we can all do to bring ourselves back from the brink)

Several people are running around this week shouting that we need more robust gun laws in the wake of the Las Vegas shooting that took place.

It is my firm belief that those that those people are wrong.

You have others who claim this is certainly a tragedy, however this tragedy does not warrant any policy change to address these types of acts.

They are also wrong.

Changes to gun laws would not have prevented the incident in Las Vegas. If you don’t believe me here’s an expert’s opinion, that was formed by academics, rather than anecdotal experience.

Additionally, there’s a video that has recently found renewed popularity online regarding the technology that was relevant when the 2nd amendment was written. If you haven’t seen it you can find it HERE. Attention-grabbing, satirical, and perhaps a bit humorous, is it not? All possibly true, but it is also ignorant. What this video ignores is perhaps the more relevant item based on its historical context: The fact that the authors of the 2nd amendment were living in a time when government overreach was not the plot of a far-fetched suspense novel, but reality.

The truth is there is not one right answer to the question of “How could’ve the Las Vegas tragedy (or any mass shooting) been prevented?” Moreover, the answer to “What could’ve stopped Stephen Paddock from killing over 50 people?” is even more elusive.

The things that stand out to this author are as follows:

1. Assess your Values
1. Figure out what it is that drives you, what’s truly important
2. Determine how you can factor in these values to your daily living
2. Streamline your commitments
1. There are a thousand things barking for our attention everyday. To be a modern person it is expected that you do things that, for lack of a better phrase; weren’t even a thing 10, 20, 30 years ago.
2. Quite simply, remove the things that are without purpose, or simply aren’t worthwhile.
3. Connectivity
1. Even the most cynical among us (raises hand) realizes a complete lack of interpersonal connections is a recipe for disaster
2. Connect with family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers!
4. Self care
1. Mental health is a lot like physical health, if you don’t do it for yourself, no one will do it for you.
2. Make it a point to engage in some activity you enjoy that reduces your stress level

Combating Terror

 First off, I am no expert. What I offer in the below is what I believe to be a bipartisan solution to the terror attacks that have unfortunately become all too common across the globe and here at home within the U.S.

We may see eye-to-eye on these points, or we may differ on all counts but in order to solve for this horrific epidemic we need a multipronged approach that addresses more than a single religion or race as the antagonist or a single populace as the victim.

                In the aftermath of the Orlando shootings that occurred in the early hours of June 12^th I am still wondering how we can live in a world where violence is becoming less predictable by the second. How it seems, as people we can let one of our own drift so far astray that they could not only justify, but then visit, the most heinous acts upon another human being. The concept is beyond me.

                Those of you that read this page regularly are aware that I try to approach my ramblings with a clumsy sort of humor in order to lighten the subject matter at times to provide levity. This subject however, being one of the most grim I have written on, will not fit that mold. I intend to stay focused and solemn out of respect for the victims and their families and friends, as I collect my thoughts on what is no doubt a serious and real subject.

                Item #1 – What are we dealing with?

                Recall that this isn’t solely a “gay” issue, this isn’t even a “Muslim” issue, and it ceased being a local, or even American problem years ago. We need to understand that trying to label and assign generalizations to those who have been attacked, or those that do the attacking is presumptive, and generally a waste of time. It’s futile as rationale human beings to try and assign meaning to the meaningless.

                Terrorism, foreign or domestic is (and has been) a global issue. Both its perpetrators and targets are faceless, and yet known to us- because they are us.

                Item #2 – What’s the diagnosis?

                No one can argue that any person; man or women, black, white, brown or orange that conspires to carry out atrocities against innocent strangers cannot be deemed mentally stable. We as people need to take responsibility and increase our own awareness for our fellow person. We need to ensure that no soul falls through the cracks of society and thus is never in a position to be retrieved by a group like ISIS, or otherwise allow dark thoughts to begin to take root.

                We need to take ownership of the mental stability of our society, make a better effort to engage people where they are at, and act like we care instead of only saying we do.

                Who knows, in time maybe we can add resources and outreach programs at a national level, but it starts in our communities.

                Item #3 – Action speaks louder than inaction

                Around the world our leaders need to come to a consensus with groups that would commit acts of terror, or claim responsibility, that doing so puts a target on the backs of its members.

                Those with the authority to do so then must seek out those targets, and simply put make examples of them, whether that be financially, materialistically, or more *final* measures.

                Send the message that we may not have struck the first blow, but we will strike the last.

                I know that in a lot of ways the above is general, its level of hopefulness possibly only dwarfed by its abstract assembly, but it beats the buzz word filled blame game approach (“gun control”, “gun free zones” etc.) and ham-fisted rhetoric (“radicalized Muslim”, “refugees”) of those politicos who seem to only use these sad events to elevate their level of publicity instead of actually presenting a course of action to combat them. In closing, if you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

                Its in that vein where I’ll wrap up, if you don’t like my ideas, rather than lampoon them; I encourage you to formulate some of your own. Then try to act upon them (form a community group, write your elected officials). Who knows your inventiveness just might save lives.