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In an ideal world there would be a professionalism gradient for mental health the same way there is for physical health. The physical health gradient starts wit

In an ideal world there would be a professionalism gradient for mental health the same way there is for physical health. The physical health gradient starts with yourself (trying to eat healthy), passes through your friends casually assisting (participating in outdoor activities, discussing food, telling you they're staying home because they're sick), then hits easily accessible treatments (pharmacy), moves on to more difficult treatments (doctor's visit), and then finally to ultra-expensive high-risk technological approaches. In contrast, the mental health picture for isolated urban professionals starts with self-regulation, then jumps straight to being treated by The System. Therapists catch a broad range of problems that don't need all their training just by virtue of being the first rung on a ladder that starts 20 feet off the ground.

whymauri 5y ago
>In contrast, the mental health picture for isolated urban professionals starts with self-regulation, then jumps straight to being treated by The System. It's pretty wild how poorly equipped some parts of the country are to treat mental health. My younger sister (13) suffers from anxiety and depression. She says she just needs a therapist to talk to, but every time my parents have reached out to local resources covered by insurance they all want to immediately destroy her future, institutionalize her FULL-TIME in a residential program, and pump her full of drugs for the next five years. School and college prep? Forget about it. Like, what the fuck? She just needs an affordable therapist... thankfully, I passed on some resources about sliding scale therapy and affordable options outside Florida Medicaid (Open Path Collective is run by angels, IMO). Yeah, she probably will need some medication, but the idea that, with only one major incident, a 4.0 GPA gifted student with a bright, educated future should essentially be orphaned and doped up through adulthood sends shivers down my spine. The options covered by Medicaid are: 1. No treatment at all, because the system is overloaded, likely leading to further decline. 2. A social and mental nuclear option, certainly leading to further trauma and isolation. TBH, it's heartbreaking to me to think about how many parents have been duped into believing this is the only option (especially with affordable remote counseling being a more available option now). Great system. We're lucky I have a well-paying software job, otherwise it's like the state wants people to suffer.
- klyrs 5y ago
  Absolutely, we've got the same problem in Canada. We waste so many resources on treating emergencies, because we can't spare a buck to help folks with minor/moderate problems. And of course, "universal healthcare" doesn't cover mental health, dental or vision -- those are privileges for folks with upper-crust jobs.
jimkleiber 5y ago
I really appreciate this comment. What I've seen in my life is that if I call it mental health, I probably still see it as disjointed as that. If I call it emotional health, it seems to open up a much broader spectrum of services. Then me calling my friend and talking about how I'm feeling, about my stress, confusion, anger, joy, excitement, dreams and fears, helps me to process some of those feelings and share them more. And it doesn't have to be a friend, it can be journaling to myself, or talking to a barber or someone on a plane or someone at a bar, or someone via online forums. It could even include the physical activity as well, as I like to define emotional = mental + physical. So going for a run or a swim or throwing a ball with a friend can provide avenues for this as well. At least for me, I find the term "emotional health" helps me see the gradient more.
MisterBastahrd 5y ago
In an ideal world, people would largely communicate ideas face-to-faced and keep text communication to a minimum. The average person needs to hear voices that don't originate from their own heads. We're creating entire generations of narcissists who, because they have the capability to read and have been taught that their opinions "are just as good as anyone else's" have decided that echo chambers are appropriate places to find themselves.

whymauri 5y ago

>In contrast, the mental health picture for isolated urban professionals starts with self-regulation, then jumps straight to being treated by The System. It's pretty wild how poorly equipped some parts of the country are to treat mental health. My younger sister (13) suffers from anxiety and depression. She says she just needs a therapist to talk to, but every time my parents have reached out to local resources covered by insurance they all want to immediately destroy her future, institutionalize her FULL-TIME in a residential program, and pump her full of drugs for the next five years. School and college prep? Forget about it. Like, what the fuck? She just needs an affordable therapist... thankfully, I passed on some resources about sliding scale therapy and affordable options outside Florida Medicaid (Open Path Collective is run by angels, IMO). Yeah, she probably will need some medication, but the idea that, with only one major incident, a 4.0 GPA gifted student with a bright, educated future should essentially be orphaned and doped up through adulthood sends shivers down my spine. The options covered by Medicaid are: 1. No treatment at all, because the system is overloaded, likely leading to further decline. 2. A social and mental nuclear option, certainly leading to further trauma and isolation. TBH, it's heartbreaking to me to think about how many parents have been duped into believing this is the only option (especially with affordable remote counseling being a more available option now). Great system. We're lucky I have a well-paying software job, otherwise it's like the state wants people to suffer.

klyrs 5y ago
Absolutely, we've got the same problem in Canada. We waste so many resources on treating emergencies, because we can't spare a buck to help folks with minor/moderate problems. And of course, "universal healthcare" doesn't cover mental health, dental or vision -- those are privileges for folks with upper-crust jobs.

jimkleiber 5y ago

I really appreciate this comment. What I've seen in my life is that if I call it mental health, I probably still see it as disjointed as that. If I call it emotional health, it seems to open up a much broader spectrum of services. Then me calling my friend and talking about how I'm feeling, about my stress, confusion, anger, joy, excitement, dreams and fears, helps me to process some of those feelings and share them more. And it doesn't have to be a friend, it can be journaling to myself, or talking to a barber or someone on a plane or someone at a bar, or someone via online forums. It could even include the physical activity as well, as I like to define emotional = mental + physical. So going for a run or a swim or throwing a ball with a friend can provide avenues for this as well. At least for me, I find the term "emotional health" helps me see the gradient more.

MisterBastahrd 5y ago

In an ideal world, people would largely communicate ideas face-to-faced and keep text communication to a minimum. The average person needs to hear voices that don't originate from their own heads. We're creating entire generations of narcissists who, because they have the capability to read and have been taught that their opinions "are just as good as anyone else's" have decided that echo chambers are appropriate places to find themselves.