It’s World Mental Health Day today. There are so many of these Mental Health Days I can barely keep up these days. Perhaps, the last one was World Mental Health week or just Mental Health Day? As a Mental Health person, I kind of welcome the fact that we have these days, but do they make any difference? I doubt it.
I am a Class A cynic. These days are created by thoroughly decent people for the best possible reasons and the alleged Great and Good, particularly in politics, are excellent at extending platitudes to those who have poor mental health. “This is a very important issue and this government is committed to improving mental health … ” at least for today. Here today, gone tomorrow policies.
The media reporting is much the same. If we are lucky, and often we are not, World Mental Health Day might appear in the daily new just before the “And finally, a cat has been rescued from a tree” fluff when the news provider has run out of real news. As for the newspapers, well they’re more likely to make your mental health worse than write anything positive about it.
I am sorry to be so cynical about this issue, but honestly, how else could I possibly feel? Even the involvement of the royals, in particular Prince Harry of California (lucky him) and Prince William and Kate Middleton with their “Heads Together” initiative. I have no doubt that they were sincere in their efforts but I have noted no change in government and societal attitudes.
The theme this year is Workplace mental health, which may come as a surprise to scumbag bullying employers like the British Red Cross who, need I remind you, ruined my life for a few years with their bullying and abusive managers. If a so-called caring, compassionate charity doesn’t give a fuck about mental health then what price everyone else?
I am very cynical about claims that these are more enlightened times and it’s now all hunky dory to talk about your mental health. This is not a view that in general I share. My experience is that there is still a widespread view that poor mental health is merely people unable to cope with normal day to day problems. Indeed, former prime minister Rishi Sunak literally said as much.
It’s good to talk but there is still the feeling that it’s not good to talk to your employer who may well look upon poor mental health as a drawback to one’s career and see it as a form of weakness.
It’s World Mental Health Day today and it won’t be tomorrow. Tomorrow you go back to pulling yourself together and stop being such a snowflake.
Cynical, moi? Certainly. What we really need is a woman or a man with a plan to actually draw up a plan and for governments to properly invest in mental health services. Because today, it’s just talk and nothing else.
No other form of illness is regarded with the indifference of mental health. World Mental Health Day is something in the sense that something is better than nothing. But only just. And only just better than nothing is to all intents and purposes nothing.
