As I write this entry, today is Election Day in the United States of America. Up until today everyone has been bombarded with mailings, phone calls, texts, TV ads, and social media posts telling us who we should vote for and why. Then, as the day has unfolded I have seen a lot of people letting others know that they had voted. I am grateful to live in a country with free elections, and I am proud to participate in the process.
Of course, when I vote, I think about issues that are important to me, and mental health is one of them. Honestly, I think that mental health is related to every other issue out there, but I tend to focus mostly on prevention, education, support, treatment, advocacy, and recovery. I look for candidates who seem to support mental health and treat it like the serious matter that it is. The good news is that I think most politicians support mental health – it seems like an easy stance that caring about mental health means caring for other humans. However, if you go below the surface, you find that there are lots of differences on what services are available and how they are paid for. Unfortunately, money is always a concern, and different politicians aren’t willing to spend as much on mental health as others. Of course, there are other priorities that also need funding, so it isn’t always easy to make these decisions. But, when I vote, I look for candidates that I think are truly willing to go the extra mile for mental health.
Luckily, in the internet age, there are many resources available that can help you research the candidates and give you an idea of where they stand on major issues. My hope is that when you vote, you think about supporting mental health as well.