The Mental Health Taboo
Regardless of what part of society you live and work in, mental health care is probably the most ignored issue there is. This may seem like an over-generalization, but consider it. When people are sick—even if it's just a minor cold—they usually see a doctor. At a minimum, they might take a sick day off.
With mental health disorders it's a different thing. Illness is left unchecked—ignored—until it becomes dangerous. For the most part, mental illnesses are acceptable as long as you can remain functional at your job. If you were constantly afflicted with congestion, sinus pain, and a runny nose, people would think that you're crazy if you didn't go to see the doctor. With neurotic conditions, however, there are people that go their entire lives without seeking mental health counseling.
The Importance of Education
Can you now see the importance of educating people on the importance of psychological health? Mental health awareness is crucial. Everyone, from victims of physical and mental abuse to those who have grown up in a relatively normal and nurturing environment, develops a psychological issue at some time in their life.
It is practically an epidemic in our society. Mental health issues, such as, depression are responsible for hundreds of thousands of missed workdays yearly, and suicide has become a common cause of death that is preventable. If you know someone who is battling with a psychological problem, it is critical that you do everything you can to get them into therapy. Undiagnosed and/or untreated mental health illness can put a great deal of strain on—and become dangerous to—the family and community, as well as, the patient.
The Current Attitude
Unfortunately, it is apparent that our society has a serious lack of mental health care support. There is some emergency mental health care available in many places, but once you're past that critical 72 hour observation stage, unless you have exceptionally good insurance coverage, it's hard to get continued treatment. The current philosophy is to give you some pills and send you on your way.
Even just a couple of decades ago, health care (mental) was much more encompassing. People could obtain full courses of therapy to assist them in dealing with chronic mental health problems. The current problem is that the pharmaceutical companies and health care management providers are showing more concern for profit than people. It is more efficient (read: cheaper) to write a prescription for Zoloft than to actually get to the cause of a mental problem. Until our society as a whole changes its attitudes and convictions about psychological health, things will continue to worsen for all.
Mental Health News From Medical News Today
Missing In Action: 'Where Is The New National Mental Health Plan?' Asks SANE Australia
Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:00:00 PST - Australians affected by mental illness are worried by repeated delays in producing a new National Mental Health Plan - SANE Australia calls for prompt action by the Rudd Government and COAG. 2008 is drawing to a close and the Rudd Government is now in i...
New Strategies For The New Year: Resolving To Break An Addiction? Help From Harvard Medical School
Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PST - Addiction affects people from all walks of life-presidents struggling to stop smoking, doctors dependent on pain pills, elderly widows who gamble too much, and teenagers abusing stimulant drugs. Nearly a quarter of Americans have a nicotine addiction at o...
Well-Developed Community Mental-Health Services Are Associated With Lower Suicide Rates
Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:00:00 PST - Well-developed community mental-health services are associated with lower suicide rates than are services oriented towards inpatient treatment provision in hospitals. Thus population mental health can be improved by the use of multi-faceted, community-bas...
Psychiatric Patients Have Greater Usage Of Mental Health Services With Insurance Plans That Provide Equal Cost Sharing
Wed, 24 Dec 2008 00:00:00 PST - Following a psychiatric discharge, Medicare patients in insurance plans that provide equal cost sharing for mental health services have higher use of those services compared to patients in plans that require greater cost sharing, according to a study in ...
