Some thoughts…
It’s important to consider what the right kind of care for those with mental health issues is because the fact is much of what is considered state of art now makes many people worse. Blanket calls for more available care isn’t enough if we don’t also think about what better care looks like.
Pushing for making mental health treatment more accessible is not helpful if the available treatment is just plain bad as it is for the most part now. Read Robert Whitaker’s work on the state of mental health care, which is heavily dominated by toxic pharma. We cannot continue caring for our vulnerable citizens with these methods.
Most of our mental health care is coercive and disrespectful, too, at it’s very core.
Our current system of care is not what we should be making more accessible-it breeds more illness and despair.
Our care is like this because our society is sick…it’s a monstrous problem that needs to start with you and me looking in the mirror. Then we need to raise our children in more humane and loving ways. Right now everyone is brought up in a culture of abuse.
I often think of this profound but simple quote:
It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society. — Jiddu Krishnamurti
There are models of care that work for those who are already manifesting great despair. Models that teach love, compassion and belief in recovery and more importantly TRANSFORMATION.
Soteria’s methods, — Jungian work that allows one to transform psychosis and heal, Open Dialog which heals family and community units, and Laingian work that looks at the nature of the “normal” human being as sick to begin with. These are just a few off the top of my head. Much of the more enlightened work being done to treat PTSD also can be transformative. Self-care with meditation can heal the mind too.
Pair a transformative healing method with embracing our holistic natures so that we learn to care for the earth and our bodies as stewards to our being, minds and souls and we have something that can start healing our society, culture and planet too.
There are actually as many methods to heal as there are human beings who understand the nature of being human. Unfortunately most human beings are terrified of their own mind and thus cannot begin to help those who manifest their troubles more obviously.
So again. We must start, always by looking at ourselves and owning our part in the chaos that is this, our humanity.
There is an urgent need for safe places for people to go and heal or receive care and information that they might do it for themselves. Until we provide such an infrastructure of care, we are not going to see the change that people are desperate for. I present these thoughts for people that we might think about how we are going to create a world where people might actually get what they need when they are faced with mental distress and/or crisis.
The information is out there, but not enough people know how to utilize and teach alternatives. Learn about the options. Spread the word. Be the change.