Child Abuse Survivor - Issue #187
What's the solution when you don't want a mental healthcare location in your neighborhood?
If you’ve been around the mental health advocacy arena long at all, you’ve likely run into NIMBYism when it comes to providing mental health care to people where they live.
Everyone says they are for mental health resources being available, but no one wants that clinic or inpatient facility to exist near them.
The quote in this headline sums up the problem that exists when no one wants anything related to mental health in their backyard:
‘Give me another solution.’ Counties resist mental health centers, betraying patients and families
Thank you for reading the Child Abuse and Mental Health Survivors newsletter. Each week, I share new blog posts and other resources that aim to help survivors of childhood abuse and those who are struggling with mental health issues feel less alone as we discuss the issues surrounding our issues.
For more information about me and why this newsletter exists, visit the website, Child Abuse Survivor.
Every time I hear about another potential resource getting shot down, I feel the same way. If not this, then what is the solution? Where do families with loved ones who need mental health treatment go? When they show up to advocate for more resources to be available close by, and we keep voting them down, what are we offering instead?
It doesn’t seem like we offer much. A 300-mile one-way trip to visit their loved one during treatment? A wait list and significant delay in treatment for someone in a crisis? Those aren’t solutions.
What do we say to people watching their family members suffer and struggle without help because no one wants that help to be nearby?
What could they possibly say to you that would make it OK for your kid to go without the treatment they need?
It’s worth considering before you find yourself stuck asking what the solution will be for your kid, only to get no response.
New from the Blogs
Sharing - If You Want to Build Community, You Have to “Waste Time” with People
The pity is that I prioritize this so little in my personal life. I’m constantly trying to “squeeze” in time with friends between work and other interests, and then wondering why my sense of personal community seems so lost. I think what Dr. Murthy talks about is part of it. I don’t think about time in this way. I’m always trying to maximize the time I spend with people, instead of just being with them.
The irony, of course, is how often I write about the best way to help people struggling with healing and mental health issues - just be with them. Yet, I don’t seem to realize how important it is to just be with our people regardless of what’s going on in their lives.
Related - Maybe it is All About Just Showing up and Being Friendly
Maybe they've stumbled onto the simplest life hack there is for loneliness - become a regular somewhere. Exist in a space where people expect you to be and then be friendly while you're there.
Worth Reading - When Asking for Help Feels Unsafe
Obviously, this is true in the world of sports, where any perceived weakness can be the difference between a first-round pick contract and no contract, but it’s also true in many of the industries all of us work in. In tech, do you want to be perceived as someone who might not be able to produce at the same level as everyone else? In law, do you want to be seen as maybe not able to hack the billable-hour requirements?
Whether either of those perceptions is true is not relevant; the risk of being seen that way exists. This risk makes asking for help less safe, which makes it more likely that someone won’t be able to do it.
Sharing - Belief in a Fair Economy Linked to Greater Mental Health Stigma, Study Finds
This makes sense. If you believe that society is ultimately fair, then poverty is a personal shortcoming rather than a failure of the system. If being poor is a personal shortcoming, the mental health impacts of living in poverty must also be your own responsibility to be dealt with, not a source of sympathy.
This, of course, assumes that the distribution of wealth is fair, which it is not. But it sure makes it easier to think that way and to stop worrying about finding solutions to the world's unfairness.
Sharing - Intolerance of Uncertainty | How to Thrive in Ambiguity
It can be difficult to live in uncertain times. That old phrase, "May you live in interesting times," is really more of a curse than a blessing. We can't change the times we live in, and even if we could, there will always be uncertainty. We can, however, ground ourselves in the knowledge and confidence that we will, regardless, survive it.
Shared from Elsewhere
There’s a lot to digest in this - Study of 6 Million People Could Rewrite How We Understand Mental Health
A massive genetic analysis of more than 6 million people is revealing new clues about why mental health disorders frequently overlap.
We should also be talking more about this:
Atlanta study shows access to healthcare contributes to mental health challenges
The Atlanta Women’s Foundation conducted a study that showed homelessness, childcare constraints, and access to healthcare strongly factored into one’s mental health
I wrote about friendship and connection above, so also check these out:
Texting a Random Stranger Better for Loneliness Than Talking to a Chatbot, Study Shows, and How to make friends: Scientists have uncovered some intriguing new details.
Social media can be a double-edged sword for many people, but as survivors, we have plenty of our own reasons to stay safe out on the internet - Tips for Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) Survivors on Social Media
Making a Difference:
Library discussions bring men’s mental health to the surface
Central Coast bowl-a-thon raises money for mental health hotline
New “Resilience” Wine Turns Willamette Valley Winemaker’s Mental Health Journey into a Mission
Men’s wellbeing groups are growing - and helping fill gaps in mental health support
Thanks for reading. If you find this newsletter informative and helpful, please share it with others. That’s the best way to express gratitude for my weekly efforts.