Why Is American’s Mental Health in Crisis?
Mental health is not an American concern it is a global crisis ~ Author
A short essay about how poor mental health impacts everyone
If you live in America, mental health is as synonymous as apple pie.
Having a mental health crisis can seem like the longest, darkest, and loneliest hallway that you have entered.
According to the PEW Research Center, our nation is facing a new public health threat.
In my humble opinion, the mental health crisis has been around as long as time has existed.
I have observed that more attention has been given to mental health in the last few decades.
In some ways, mental health has become the “new black.”
In some circles, discussing mental health is not as taboo as it used to be.
For many people of color, it is still frowned upon to seek mental health services.
For those that are religious , some are instructed to rely only on their faith and not to seek out practical or medical techniques.
There are so many factors that can contribute to poor mental health.
Most of the time, people are not aware of them until they are in a mental health crisis.
If you think about your own family and circle of friends, how many would say they are mentally healthy?
Are you mentally healthy?
Do you know what mental wellness looks like?
Most people would grade themselves as okay or coping; few would say they are mentally thriving.
If one is not in a crisis, they are leaving one, and if they are not leaving one, they are entering one.
The hills and valleys of mental health are diverse.
There is no one size that fits all.
What I have recognized is that most people believe they can handle whatever the current issue is.
Most of the time, that may be true.
However, it’s not the one issue that stomps people; it’s those back-to-back concerns that they may have to deal with.
For example, if we have a great family life, we may have poor health.
If we have financial stability, we might be caregivers for a special needs child or an aging parent.
While there is no right or wrong answer, seeking support systems could be the key to decreasing some of the challenges that increase poor mental health.
Recognize whatever the limitation is and embrace the current concern before it becomes a crisis.
Sometimes boundaries are not created to keep harmful people or situations out, but to keep us safe from ourselves.
Thank you for reading.
Be Well!
