On Poverty and Mental Health

I've started to think that mental health is a problem for the wealthy.

I don't mean to say that it's a first world problem which doesn't matter for anybody else -- I think just the opposite.  The National Day Without Stigma was this past week, and as always, it just reminded me of how prevalent mental illness is in the world.

And what it really made me start to wonder was about what your options are if you don't have health insurance and can't afford to see anyone.  I've been working a bit with a substance abuse rehabilitation facility in Richmond, and to some extent, it's become clear that for some people, that is their option.

Mental illness does not discriminate based on age, race, or social class.  If anything, being in a poorer situation increases the chances that you will struggle with depression and anxiety.  But the options we have to help people work through these concerns are expensive -- expensive therapies, expensive drugs, appointments with expensive therapists.  The options for those who can't afford those are, statistically, homelessness, prison, substance abuse and rehabilitation (if they can afford it or it's court-ordered), or hospitalization in extreme, high-risk cases.

The fact is that we've created a system that works pretty well for those who have access to it, but we've economically-barred some of the highest-need populations from being able to access mental healthcare.

Mental health advocacy is not simply advocacy for those who have the resources.  It is also advocacy for those who have never had the resources to get the help they need.

Thinking,
Rachel Leigh

On Stigma and Mean Girls

My darling readers.

I am a member of UR’s chapter of Active Minds, a national organization that seeks to reduce the stigma against mental illness and promote more mentally healthy campuses around the country. (Actually, I’m the co-president of the chapter, but that’s really not important).
What is important is that today is October 3rd.

Now, for Mean Girls fans out there, the fact that it’s October 3rd is important because it’s the day that Aaron Samuels will ask what day it is. It’s October 3rd.

On the other hand, the reason October 3rd matters in the context of Active Minds revolves around the fact that today is the National Day Without Stigma.

50 million people suffer from a mental illness every year (1 in 4), and of those who suffer, only 25% will seek treatment or therapy of some form. This all comes back to the stigma against mental illness. People who suffer from a mental health problem or mental health disorder are seen as “crazy,” and because people think they’re crazy, it prevents them from wanting to seek help.

1 in 4 people means that you probably have friends, family, coworkers, teachers, and peers who are suffering without your knowledge. And the persisting stigma against mental illness will prevent 75% of these people, people you care about, from seeking help because they worry that people will judge them. People worry that seeking mental help will prevent them from getting jobs, getting into good schools, forming personal relationships, or being respected. And it all comes back to stigma. People shouldn’t have to worry what people will think of them for seeking treatment for their mental illness, or even for having one. They should worry about learning to manage it so they can live happy and successful lives.

Today, as a national organization, we come together to spread awareness and fight the stigma. But one day’s worth of advocacy isn’t the solution. Every day, we, as a society, need to work towards making people feel safer, advocating self-awareness and treatment, and being good friends to the people we care about, particularly if they have the courage to admit they’re suffering.

Lovingly yours,
Rachel Leigh