Long Island Newsday smacked us in the face with the sobering fact that Heroin overdoses surge on Long Island. Duchess Kate Middleton has a new editor job with the Huffington Post UK to bring awareness and break the stigma of seeking help for mental health issues in young people with her Young Minds Matter campaign.
Bam. I instantly saw a connection. I have ideas on this.
Mental Wellness Starts Young
In the ABC News article,
"Duchess of Cambridge Raises Mental Health Issues as Guest Editor of Huffington Post UK" By LAMA HASAN and CAROLYN DURAND
photo via ABC News article“What I did not expect was to see that time and time again, the issues that led people to addiction and destructive decision making seemed to almost always stem from unresolved childhood challenges," the mum of two stressed.
“And it was also clear that with mental health problems still being such a taboo, many adults are often too afraid to ask for help for children in their care,” Kate continued. “It is time for this to change.”
Breaking the stigma of mental health issues and seeking help for mental health issues is happening, but obviously, thanks to Newsday's hideous death knell too slowly. I have been involved in a Twitter campaign, #art4MentalHealth to show how The Arts in all its forms (music, paint, sketch, dance...) make wonderful tools to assist with depression, grief, stress, PTSD and so much more. This simple hashtag #art4MentalHealth lets people know that Mental Health is a part of a person's Overall Health and Wellness. It's okay to help yourself feel better and it is okay to ask for help to make yourself feel better.
Even Michaels, the crafts store is embracing the "Adult Coloring Book" as a form of relaxation practicing what is known as mindfulness. Of course, they are making money on the latest "trend" and that is okay. Adults are scooping it up. I hope teens and college students are, too! Mindfulness is when you are deeply focused on the task at hand that lets you enter an almost meditative state to quiet your mind and your thoughts. When you are coloring, sketching, painting, knitting, or creating in any form, you are practicing mindfulness. The world and all of its worries melt away.
This is good that a big giant that is truly connected to the community (they are there for every school project, every season and celebration) is embracing this easily accessible and affordable tool.
But, is it enough?
No.
Look at Matt Davies latest cartoon in Newsday today, Feb. 19, 2016.
Is this a sick twist on Supply and Demand?
Make It Public and Accessible
I think the problem is that young people or even adults, for that matter either don't want to seek help, are afraid to seek help, or don't find it easy and accessible to seek to help. When I think of AA or NARC meetings, I think of cold metal folding chairs in the incense/moth balls infused basement of a church. Hey, I am proud of the people going to the support group sessions and the facilitator conducting the sessions, but do people have to go underground to seek help? What if we made it more public, out in the open? You don't have to skulk in the dark shadows.
What if these meetings were in a Starbucks-like set up? Comfortable and cool. What if it was within an existing store? What if Micheals, the craft store took their involvement in Wellness the extra mile and started the Crafts Café & Chat?
image by Susan Day-Holsinger
Classroom to Cafe
Sorry, Michaels but your classrooms need some TLC and design makeovers. Rather than the cramped unappealing narrow classrooms they have squeezed in the corner of the store, create a good sized Café where customers can make their purchase and relax and use the products to create, while they can talk to other customers or social workers, psychologists, art therapists if they want to. Or they can snuggle in a comfy chair with his or her legs tucked under contentedly scribbling or knitting. Put up paintings of nature, or photos that are pleasing to the eye. Make it hip, make it funky, but make it. Have signs up with helpful information about depression, coping with stress and that professionals are nearby if they want to talk or make an appointment. This isn't a perfect plan, but it's to start bringing the help out in the Public for the young and old right there in their community. No sign up. Just walk in.
Another great value to these gatherings is the healing balm of connectedness to other human beings. It is so important to not be alone and have a place to go and be amongst other people.
Funding: Calling All Billionaires
On another note, one of our Presidential Candidates would like to make America Great again and has repeatedly said he has billions of dollars. Wouldn't it be great if he would donate to Michaels to make this happen? America is not feeling so great right now...
The Mental Health Cafe
I would also love to see the MH Café, Mental Health Café pop up everywhere and be like an open studio for healing and sipping lattes. There's another good GoFundMe proposition. I see stat clinics, such as CityMD popping up across Long Island. Wouldn't it be awesome to see CafeMH's?
With heroin, being so nefarious in its relentless grip on the American people (it is EVERYWHERE), you would need In-Residence treatment to detox safely under good medical care. I know there are waiting lists for these... Can the Kardashian Family that has people in their own inner circle suffering physically and mentally put some of their fortunes into creating clinics across the country? We don't need any more iPhone Game Apps. America is suffering and this is where they can really make a difference. I'm all for succeeding in Capitalism, but when you have more than you could ever need, here is something to invest in that can be near and dear to a lot of people's hearts.
Breaking it down.
1. Break the stigma -All Lives Matter, Duchess Kate, The Obamas, Twitter Campaigns
2. Accessibility - Bring it out in the Public's Eye vs. not hidden in a basement.
3. Funding/ through a Corporation like Micheals and people that have more money than they need.
4. Create an MHCafe
5. Start the Conversation - Parents to their kids, family members young and old, and articles like this one.
I have ideas and that is all I can personally offer at this time. I toss the ball out there. Who is going to catch it and run with it?
by Susan Day-Holsinger, MS
I am an amateur artist, an advocate for #Art4MentalHealth and for Health and Wellness, earned a Masters Degree in School Counseling
@simplysusandh
I am an amateur artist, an advocate for #Art4MentalHealth and for Health and Wellness, earned a Masters Degree in School Counseling
@simplysusandh
