File under: Things that irk me
World Suicide Prevention Day was earlier this month, on September 10th. It's important to get people talking about mental health and well publicized awareness campaigns are a key part of that.
However, a lot of these campaigns encourage people to reach out for help, suggesting help to be had and all someone has to do is ask for it. Which...are they serious? Have they been to an ER lately? Tried to make an appointment lately? Tried to get approval from insurance? Do these people live on the same planet as I do?
As someone who has personally had the police come and involuntarily commit someone for one 24-hour stint after another for weeks because there were months-long waits for inpatient treatment programs, I'm going to say that the idea that there is help out there to be had is usually total bullshit.
Reaching out for help is rarely as simple as setting up an appointment with your GP, going to the ER, or finally telling a friend what's really going on. Reaching out for help often involves reaching out over and over again and having to demand it and fight for it.
Which is really, really hard to do.
Even when someone is getting help, getting an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment is its own struggle. And then treatment might stop working or insurance might stop covering it or maybe nothing seems to work for months or years.
As much as it's important to make it so people feel safe asking for help, this refrain makes it seem like people who aren't getting the mental health care they deserve are to blame for this lack of care. As if help is there and they just aren't bothering to ask for it.
Asking for help is one thing, actually getting it is another.
PS. If you're interested in seeing a therapist, here's a guide to the surprisingly complicated world of choosing/finding a therapist and what to expect in your first session.
If you're in a crisis, there is always someone waiting to talk you through what you're feeling right now:
In Canada: call 1-833-456-4566 or text 45645 for Crisis Services Canada.
In the US: call 1-800-273-8255 for the US Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
Outside of the US and Canada: please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention to find resources in your area.