Mental Health Days

If I’ve taken anything from the recent spate of school shootings it’s that we, as a society, have to get a lot better at identifying and dealing with mental health issues and we need to do it quickly.

It has always struck me as idiotic that we expect kids to learn so much by osmosis and take certain things for granted. Do they know that if they feel angry all the time, there is another way they could feel? Do they know that assuming what someone is thinking because of the look on their face, isn’t necessarily correct? Is there a sense of understanding from someone in their lives if they’re afraid, even if it seems like an unreasonable fear?

Too many people are far too ignorant about mental health. Because there is no sling or cast or cut that shows obvious pain, others sometimes dismiss a family member’s stress or anguish as being “brought on themselves” or they tell the sufferer they “just need to get over it.” That’s a load of crap! Loading guilt on top of the issue is not productive.

I applaud anyone who has taken part in a CAMH (Canadian Association of Mental Health) campaign to demystify the process of getting treatment. Famous people including Amy Sky, James Bartleman and others have come forward to reveal their own struggles and they are brave for doing so. I hope that we’ll soon get past the point where they are considered brave, and it becomes no more embarrassing to seek help for depression or panic attacks or anxiety, than it would be to get a doctor to look at your broken leg.