Category: Social

Awhile ago I attended a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Smarts for Advocacy class.  In this class you learn tips and tools for sharing your story and effective ways to write, call, or talk with your policymakers.  Although my brain was definitely tired by the end of it, I was very appreciative to have the information.  I also imagine a lot of people (including me) can get a lot of benefit from the workshop.

To be honest, I have not been much on the advocacy side of things since my dad passed away.  I have always complained and criticized the system that he had to navigate through, but criticizing and complaining doesn’t usually get you very far.  While it definitely stretches my comfort zone and my interest, lately I have been feeling the nudge to advocate more for mental health.  Instead of resisting it, I am exploring what that means for me and what I can do.

Although this nudge to action is very personal, I think part of it is from an overall sense of increased civic engagement in our country.  Our political climate right now is uneasy at best.  People are protesting and getting involved everywhere, and although it isn’t always pretty, I am inspired by the peaceful civic action that has been spreading.  There are so many issues out there, so many things that need improvement.  I am glad to see people getting out there and fighting for what they believe is right, and I hope that for many mental health is at the top of the list.

Although the definition of advocacy can be pretty broad, I feel like I am just starting my advocacy journey.  While I am interested in many issues, my work will start with focusing on and improving mental health for all.  I sent my first email to one of my state lawmakers in February and plan to visit the state legislature.  I don’t know what all will happen from here, but at least I am following the nudge to move forward and help improve what we currently have.  It may not be easy for me, but I know there is meaning in trying to constructively change the mental health landscape.

I will be the first to admit that I am a recovering “we must follow all the rules to a T” lady.  Rules are meant to be followed, right?  And so, for most of my life, that is what I have done.  In school, in work, and in life, I have been that person.

That is, until I lost my dad and everything I thought about the world was challenged.

Now, I understand that rules do have a place and a purpose, but what about some of the rules that create detrimental inflexibility and rigidness?  That is what concerns me today.  It seems there are a lot of people who are so worried about “following the rules” that they are missing the bigger picture.   What if the rules are outdated?  What if there are other ways (that aren’t illegal or hurt someone) to do something that are still beneficial but technically “break” the established rules?  What if the current rules keep us from helping more people or people who are different from us?

We need to challenge how we think about rules.  We need to be more open-minded.

I also need to remind myself of this time and time again.

The world is not typically an all or nothing proposition – it is a continuum of varied experiences and insights, and we should all work towards making sure the “rules” to help others truly do so.  My hope is that we all begin to question and challenge things that “must” be done in particular ways to help others, as we may be missing the opportunity to help many more people.

I volunteered and was elected to be a on a state board this year.  The board is all about mental health and includes initiatives such as education, advocacy, and reducing stigma.  I am really excited about starting my work on this board – so far, I have prepped for this meeting and I have even read a book about board membership that the group gave to all new board members.  I am really hoping that I can contribute to this board and that we can make some noticeable progress at the state level.

Of course, if you have been reading my blog, you somewhat understand my journey to being on this board.  It wouldn’t have been my top choice years ago, but now it is something I feel that I have to work on due to my family history.  My top concern is that others do not have to suffer in the ways that my family (both those who were ill and the caregivers) suffered.  We have to strive to do better and to take better care of each other.

Obviously this board will have to get into more specific details, but I like to dream about what the world would look like if I had my way regarding mental health.  Ideally, there would be no mental illness, or any illness at all, however at this point that seems like a long range goal – but something we should work towards.  Before we get to that day, I dream of a world where there is zero stigma surrounding mental illness.  Mental illness would be something that is talked about and treated like any other disease or disorder and the fear surrounding it would be gone.  I like to tell people that we should think of mental illness like we think about cancer – it is serious, treatment can be hard, and it can be deadly.  Why can’t we show the care and compassion for mental illness that we do for cancer?  That would be a huge step.  In this dream world of mine everyone would understand the complexities of mental illness and understand the importance of finding cures.

Of course, now that I have dreamed about the big picture, it’s time to get to work making all of the small changes that will add up to the big ones.  If you have any thoughts or ideas, both big and small, of what a board, a group, or an individual can do to improve the status of mental illness please share it with me.  We can each contribute and help, but we can’t do it all on our own.

As I write this, the 2016 presidential election is over.  I’m not much into politics, but even I’ll admit that at the end I was sucked into some of the drama.  What a frenzy.

This is not meant to be a political blog, but I will say that I am in the half of the country that is disappointed with the result.  I could go on and on about the implications and how I feel, but I think the bigger point I want to make is how to process the results and move on.

Again, for half of the country, this is not what we expected.  This was a shock and a loss.  So, I encourage us to respectfully acknowledge our feelings and do the grieving and processing that is necessary.  This will be different for everyone and may take some time.  This also includes being respectful of those in the other half who see this as a victory.  Give them the space to process their feelings as well.  I think the first step is to reflect and find the meaning that will help you move forward.  By the time I post this blog, this is a step that might already be finished for you.  If not, be sure to give yourself the grace to pause and reflect.

Then, move forward.  Did this make you sad?  Angry?  If so, what are you going to do about it?  No matter how you feel, how can you put that energy into positive action?  How can you be more involved in your local, state, or national communities to fight for the changes that are important to you?  Don’t get me wrong, I am still grieving – I think this is going to take awhile for me to wrap my head around what happened.  But, I am already thinking about ways I can help better the world.  The election of a president you strongly dislike does not mean the end of anything – it means the beginning of having to fight harder to counter balance any of the initiatives you don’t agree with.  We can do it.  We can go on and still make the world a better place.  I find a lot of comfort in the fact that progress is still always possible.

I am writing this on the day before the 2016 presidential election, but I am not sure when I will actually publish this blog entry.  Regardless, elections, primaries, caucuses, etc. come around more often than every 4 years, so this can apply at many different times.

In short, if you are an eligible voter, you should exercise your right to do so.  This is pretty obvious advice, but a lot of people don’t seem to follow it.  You need to vote to share your voice.  You need to vote to exercise a right that many in the world don’t have.  You need to vote because it is an easy way to be involved in both the local and larger communities in which you live.  Don’t take this right or your power for granted.

My view is that if you can vote and you don’t, you then give up your right to complain about what is going on in government.  I’ve said this to my husband many times, but he takes it a step further.  He is a voter, but he said it’s not simply enough to vote.  You also have to be an informed voter.  I think he makes a great point.  So, vote, yes, but also be informed about who is running, what issues are on the ballot, etc.  I’m not much into politics, but I do feel that informed voting is an essential and easy way to take part in our communities.

Most of the time it really is all about perspective.  I can be sitting at home thinking that the world sucks, yet while I do that I am surrounded by a multitude of blessings and fortunes.  I am safe, I am breathing, I am in a temperature controlled environment – that’s a pretty good start, right?  I am already ahead of so many right there, and I’m barely getting started.

What is a way I can help cultivate this mindset of gratitude instead of a perceived feeling of lack?

One big answer to that for me is volunteering.  Now, I am not going to list everything that I have done as a volunteer, because this post is not meant as a brag on how I’ve helped the world.  In general, I’ve donated money and ran in 5Ks.  I’ve coordinated events and sent emails.  A little bit of this or that, but it has all lead to helping a cause greater than myself.

In all, I think that volunteering has many benefits, and there is something for everyone.  No matter what your passion, you can find a way to help, and I don’t think there is anything wrong in volunteering because it makes you feel good.  Volunteering helps us see the bigger picture, and in turn we realize how well off most of us are.  Of course, hopefully this doesn’t create a feeling of “I’m better than you” or “I’m above this”, because that is not what I’m talking about.  I am saying that by helping others you help yourself.

So, I encourage you to get out there and find a way to be of service – this could be new to you, or it might be time to change or add to what you already do.  Either way, be proud of your efforts to help and see if it gives you a greater sense of gratitude – I know it works for me.