E
very so often in life we are confronted with di cult questions. Struggling to come up
with clear answers, we often convince ourselves to stop asking these questions. hen
it comes to mental health and addiction, di cult questions seem to be the only questions available right now. e must fight the impulse to give up on these questions for
it is these very questions that are a pre-requisite to progress. ith this in mind, we
explore a tough question that currently faces the mental health community an we
educate the public such that weakness is no longer seen as the cause of mental illness and addiction, while
encouraging those suffering to be strong and courageous in their fight to heal themselves
» STRENGTH VS. WEAKNESS Educating the public is an art. efore even beginning to inform, the first
step in the education process is the monumental task of addressing the misinformation and misperception
that firmly forms the basis of the collective understanding. ichael owlett, the hair on the oard of Directors at Healthy Minds Canada, writes: “Most Canadians don’t realize the extent of the real problem we
face in this country, not only in mental health but also addictions and long term care.” This understanding,
or rather misunderstanding, is particularly stubborn when it comes to mental illness and addiction because
the sheer scope of misinformation is so pervasive that it has weaved its way into the very fabric of our
social dialogue quite simply, the language we have grown accustomed to using is rooted in misperception.
Not surprisingly, many of the key proponents of mental health today are engaged in spirited public education campaigns aimed at altering the language we use. Howlett explains, “Mental Health is somewhat
new to us all so education helps us to understand.” The thrust of many of these campaigns usually centres
around the notion that mental illness and addiction are NOT a product of weakness. The idea behind this
shift is clear: The root to acceptance and care is through compassion and the public’s appetite for compassion is simply not stimulated by weakness. In fact, weakness often incites blame which sadly washes away the
road to compassion. Public perception is such that mental illness and addiction can be directly attributed to
the sufferer something they failed to do, or something
they were too weak to overcome and control. So the reasoning is sound – the public must be made to see that
those a icted with mental health concerns are suffering
from an illness – they are sick not weak – a phrase made
popular by Michael Landsberg’s powerful new platform.
But what does this shift in language away from weakness do to the actual patient suffering from mental
health concerns? Put differently, does this shift in language conflict with any of the important messages
needed by those suffering?
"IN ANY ILLNESS,
STRENGTH AND
COURAGE IS
WHAT GETS
US THROUGH."
- MICHAEL HOWLETT
or starters, what is the message to anyone suffering
Howlett notes, “In any illness, strength and courage is
what gets us through, and mental illness is no different. o doubt there are many facets of the message
that change in varying degrees depending on the patient – however one essential point always remains:
There is no way to convalesce from addiction and mental illness without strength and courage on the part
of those suffering. owlett says, Strength is a necessary attribute in helping any person with problems,
sometimes we just have to help them find it.
edicine and therapy are critical aids in this process but they
are not replacements for strength and courage on the part of the sufferer. owlett notes, Patients must be
helped to find the inner strength to help themselves. The point is, getting better and staying better is not
something given to you, it is something you must courageously fight for and ultimately take for yourself.
There is a necessarily prescriptive element of action in all treatment and anything that turns the sufferer
into a totally passive agent, necessarily impedes the road to wellness.
ith this, we once again arrive at the tough question we started with. an we educate the public such that
weakness is no longer seen as the cause of mental illness and addiction, while encouraging those suffering to
be strong and courageous in their fight to heal themselves The point is, educating the public cannot come
at the expense of rendering the patient helpless. Since we know we must continue to empower the patient,
then the question really is, will the public still heed the message that the patient is not to be blamed while
we encourage those suffering to be strong
fredi spring 2016 •
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