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Mental health problems are seen as a weakness in this country. It's very anti the American way to: 1. Have a mental health problem 2. Seek help for a mental h

Mental health problems are seen as a weakness in this country. It's very anti the American way to: 1. Have a mental health problem 2. Seek help for a mental health problem This leads to insures being able to deny this, and it not seen as a negative, because it's denying something that's weak. And weakness in the USA is the ultimate sin. Homelessness/Joblessness also fall under this same belief system.

diegoperini 7y ago
I'm not from US but I believe this is incorrect. Everytime I visit there, I am always amazed to see how caring the people are. This is a sample size of one though.
- rectang 7y ago
  It's uneven. There are many who are kind just like you say. But if you have ever seen the savagery in the comments on any HN-linked story on homelessness, that perspective is also well-represented in the US.
  - FireBeyond 7y ago
    > But if you have ever seen the savagery in the comments on any HN-linked story on homelessness And frankly, compared to Facebook posts from Fox News or indeed any other news outlet, the "savagery" on HN is downright pleasant.
  - lamarpye 7y ago
    Are comments like that allowed on HN? I thought the process was to downvote, flag, and remove. Watch what happens to this comment.
- ryanisnan 7y ago
  At or beyond 2 degrees of separation however, a lot of people would rather not be concerned with someone else's problems.
- village-idiot 7y ago
  Mental illness is absolutely seen as a weakness. You just need to hear how people gossip in quiet about someone who’s having mental health issues. Statements about people needing to “man up” or it being “their time of the month” are far from uncommon.
  - apacheCamel 7y ago
    Growing up, my parents would make fun of my aunt for taking anti-depressants behind her back in front of my sister and I. When I was a kid, I didn't think much of it. Now being older and having gone through some dark times of my own, I am truly sickened by the fact that they see her in this "weakness" light. Imagine all the kids who faced the same thing but never saw the other side and wound up feeling the same way their parents did? My parents taught me a lot of great things but I am glad this was not one of them.
- inetknght 7y ago
  I think when people travel they generally visit the pretty and happy places. Surely people with mental health issues hide those issues while the person is there in order to fit in: else the person wouldn't fit in and would be ostracized and removed. See also anti-homeless laws.
- projectileboy 7y ago
  Individuals, sure. But the system? You couldn’t be more mistaken. Your health insurance comes through your employer. When you get sick or depressed, and you start missing work as a result, guess what happens?
JohnAtCC 7y ago
Generally, I do agree with this - but outside of anecdotal evidence of public opinion over it, do you have references (scientific) I can find on this in particular?
Dude2022 7y ago
Most suicide victims are men. So I would say widespread anti-male sexism has a role.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
stronglikedan 7y ago
This may have been true a couple of decades ago (as with the rest of the world), but the world's come a long way since then, including the US. It's no longer stigmatized here or anywhere else developed.
- TheOperator 7y ago
  >Its no longer stigmatized [since 20 years ago] Maybe I should have told the people slamming my back into hooks repeatedly that and they would have stopped. Or the people who refused to hire me. Or the people who refuse associate with me. Maybe you should tell the associates I have who accidentally let slurs slip out of their mouth with me right in front of them. Just look at the slang internet shitheads use. "Retard" and "Autist," are super common. Just because you're blind to the stigma out there doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Mental illness causes many problems and often the easiest way for somebody to deal with those problems is to not deal with the mentally ill person. Even if its not right. Stigma is practical. People in the developed world give a lot of lip service to how mental illness shouldn't be stigmatised I guess. I'm curious if you believe the developed world doesn't have sexism or racism anymore.
theWheez 7y ago
Having finally gone through the process of getting diagnosed with ADHD, I can't agree more. I talked with my doctor about a referral, he essentially just said "find somebody in your network" and gave no direction. Of course, finding psychiatric care in my network was a no-go, so I ended up paying out of pocket. Even with the diagnosis and subsequent medication prescription, the out of pocket price was $189 for 30 days for a generic medication! Only with a coupon app was the price lowered to ~$50. It's no wonder the black market for drugs is so strong considering the barrier to entry, not just monetarily but logistically.
mjevans 7y ago
I am from the US and my perception is that the parent post is true. In reality this is all that matters if someone feels they might have a need in such an area but otherwise can ignore the issue until something catastrophic forces it.
bitcurious 7y ago
Speaking from an Eastern European perspective, the attitude you describe is neither unique to nor especially pronounced in America.
projectileboy 7y ago
Very well put. The tragic irony being that we will all inevitably be in a position of weakness.

diegoperini 7y ago

I'm not from US but I believe this is incorrect. Everytime I visit there, I am always amazed to see how caring the people are. This is a sample size of one though.

rectang 7y ago
It's uneven. There are many who are kind just like you say. But if you have ever seen the savagery in the comments on any HN-linked story on homelessness, that perspective is also well-represented in the US.
- FireBeyond 7y ago
  > But if you have ever seen the savagery in the comments on any HN-linked story on homelessness And frankly, compared to Facebook posts from Fox News or indeed any other news outlet, the "savagery" on HN is downright pleasant.
- lamarpye 7y ago
  Are comments like that allowed on HN? I thought the process was to downvote, flag, and remove. Watch what happens to this comment.
ryanisnan 7y ago
At or beyond 2 degrees of separation however, a lot of people would rather not be concerned with someone else's problems.
village-idiot 7y ago
Mental illness is absolutely seen as a weakness. You just need to hear how people gossip in quiet about someone who’s having mental health issues. Statements about people needing to “man up” or it being “their time of the month” are far from uncommon.
- apacheCamel 7y ago
  Growing up, my parents would make fun of my aunt for taking anti-depressants behind her back in front of my sister and I. When I was a kid, I didn't think much of it. Now being older and having gone through some dark times of my own, I am truly sickened by the fact that they see her in this "weakness" light. Imagine all the kids who faced the same thing but never saw the other side and wound up feeling the same way their parents did? My parents taught me a lot of great things but I am glad this was not one of them.
inetknght 7y ago
I think when people travel they generally visit the pretty and happy places. Surely people with mental health issues hide those issues while the person is there in order to fit in: else the person wouldn't fit in and would be ostracized and removed. See also anti-homeless laws.
projectileboy 7y ago
Individuals, sure. But the system? You couldn’t be more mistaken. Your health insurance comes through your employer. When you get sick or depressed, and you start missing work as a result, guess what happens?

JohnAtCC 7y ago

Generally, I do agree with this - but outside of anecdotal evidence of public opinion over it, do you have references (scientific) I can find on this in particular?

Dude2022 7y ago

Most suicide victims are men. So I would say widespread anti-male sexism has a role.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

stronglikedan 7y ago

This may have been true a couple of decades ago (as with the rest of the world), but the world's come a long way since then, including the US. It's no longer stigmatized here or anywhere else developed.

TheOperator 7y ago
>Its no longer stigmatized [since 20 years ago] Maybe I should have told the people slamming my back into hooks repeatedly that and they would have stopped. Or the people who refused to hire me. Or the people who refuse associate with me. Maybe you should tell the associates I have who accidentally let slurs slip out of their mouth with me right in front of them. Just look at the slang internet shitheads use. "Retard" and "Autist," are super common. Just because you're blind to the stigma out there doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Mental illness causes many problems and often the easiest way for somebody to deal with those problems is to not deal with the mentally ill person. Even if its not right. Stigma is practical. People in the developed world give a lot of lip service to how mental illness shouldn't be stigmatised I guess. I'm curious if you believe the developed world doesn't have sexism or racism anymore.

theWheez 7y ago

Having finally gone through the process of getting diagnosed with ADHD, I can't agree more. I talked with my doctor about a referral, he essentially just said "find somebody in your network" and gave no direction. Of course, finding psychiatric care in my network was a no-go, so I ended up paying out of pocket. Even with the diagnosis and subsequent medication prescription, the out of pocket price was $189 for 30 days for a generic medication! Only with a coupon app was the price lowered to ~$50. It's no wonder the black market for drugs is so strong considering the barrier to entry, not just monetarily but logistically.

mjevans 7y ago

I am from the US and my perception is that the parent post is true. In reality this is all that matters if someone feels they might have a need in such an area but otherwise can ignore the issue until something catastrophic forces it.

bitcurious 7y ago

Speaking from an Eastern European perspective, the attitude you describe is neither unique to nor especially pronounced in America.

projectileboy 7y ago

Very well put. The tragic irony being that we will all inevitably be in a position of weakness.