Day 119 of 365 - Feeling Raddled
I learned a new word today from my Merriam-Webster word of the day email. The word is raddled, which means being in a state of confusion; lacking composure. It seemed an appropriate title for my topic of exploration today.
Yesterday was designated as a "Let's Talk" about mental health day here. A national telecommunications company sponsors this and donates five cents to mental health initiatives for every viewing of a ten second video they create to bring awareness to this important issue. That's all well and good. Many people were sharing on Facebook or Messenger and there was a profile picture frame you could add (which I did).
Then, today I read an article which stated that the donations from the company really don't add much to existing services and, that while it is a good public awareness initiative, it's mostly free advertising for the phone company.
Also in the past couple days, I was reading an article in the Reader's Digest about an NHL hockey player who, partly due to multiple concussions incurred in the game, ended up with serious anxiety and depression. He chose to deal with it using drugs and alcohol, which took a serious toll until he was finally offered useful help.
People experience mental health issues for varied reasons, and due to different root causes, but there almost always seems to be some kind of trauma at the core. It could be emotional, physical or situational, but some kind of trauma or extreme distress upsets the natural coping mechanisms of our bodies and minds to the point that daily life becomes overwhelming.
Then, due to cultural norms, unspoken codes of behavior in the family, school or workplace, people who are suffering often feel they can't speak up or ask for help for fear of being seen as weak. They turn to the more 'acceptable' strategies of overeating, drinking or using drugs to relieve their pain until that becomes the major issue. One of my sisters used to say that in our family the men dealt with their feelings by drinking and the women became depressed.
One of our sons developed serious anxiety and depression in his teens and was in treatment with medication and therapy for years. In the first years, we were selective about sharing about it with extended family for fear of judgment. That became another burden to bear. In the last couple years his level of anxiety increased and he went back on medication after being off for years. Fortunately, he is now in a very supportive work environment, where he is shown concern rather than being shunned for having a problem.
So, while it seems to be less of a stigma to discuss mental health issues than in the past, it's probably not readily apparent to people where they might get help, especially in early stages of manifestation. Unless you know what resources to seek out, there might not be much on offer until you are in a state of crisis.
There might not seem to be much clarity in this post, which is reflective of my state of feeling raddled about the issue. I suppose that, as a society, perhaps we are in the messy middle phase of deciding it is okay to talk about these things, but not really sure what to do next.
Yesterday was designated as a "Let's Talk" about mental health day here. A national telecommunications company sponsors this and donates five cents to mental health initiatives for every viewing of a ten second video they create to bring awareness to this important issue. That's all well and good. Many people were sharing on Facebook or Messenger and there was a profile picture frame you could add (which I did).
Then, today I read an article which stated that the donations from the company really don't add much to existing services and, that while it is a good public awareness initiative, it's mostly free advertising for the phone company.
Also in the past couple days, I was reading an article in the Reader's Digest about an NHL hockey player who, partly due to multiple concussions incurred in the game, ended up with serious anxiety and depression. He chose to deal with it using drugs and alcohol, which took a serious toll until he was finally offered useful help.
People experience mental health issues for varied reasons, and due to different root causes, but there almost always seems to be some kind of trauma at the core. It could be emotional, physical or situational, but some kind of trauma or extreme distress upsets the natural coping mechanisms of our bodies and minds to the point that daily life becomes overwhelming.
Then, due to cultural norms, unspoken codes of behavior in the family, school or workplace, people who are suffering often feel they can't speak up or ask for help for fear of being seen as weak. They turn to the more 'acceptable' strategies of overeating, drinking or using drugs to relieve their pain until that becomes the major issue. One of my sisters used to say that in our family the men dealt with their feelings by drinking and the women became depressed.
One of our sons developed serious anxiety and depression in his teens and was in treatment with medication and therapy for years. In the first years, we were selective about sharing about it with extended family for fear of judgment. That became another burden to bear. In the last couple years his level of anxiety increased and he went back on medication after being off for years. Fortunately, he is now in a very supportive work environment, where he is shown concern rather than being shunned for having a problem.
So, while it seems to be less of a stigma to discuss mental health issues than in the past, it's probably not readily apparent to people where they might get help, especially in early stages of manifestation. Unless you know what resources to seek out, there might not be much on offer until you are in a state of crisis.
There might not seem to be much clarity in this post, which is reflective of my state of feeling raddled about the issue. I suppose that, as a society, perhaps we are in the messy middle phase of deciding it is okay to talk about these things, but not really sure what to do next.
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