Dr. Henry Paul, MD

Psychiatrist, Author and Educator

Tag Archives: Is my child okay

FIGHTING THE STIGMA OF MENTAL HEALTH

February 19th, 2016

39018469_sThere is a stigma surrounding mental health issues, not just here in the United States, but around the world. There always has been! Today the Huffington Post began their “Young Minds Matter” campaign to raise awareness about mental health in children, and the Dutchess of Cambridge is leading the charge. The former Kate Middleton said in the Huffington Post Wednesday that “she and Prince William wouldn’t hesitate to seek help if they thought their children, George and Charlotte, needed it.”

As a guest editor for the Huffington Post, the Dutchess of Cambridge said in her first blog post for the new series “Young Minds Matter” that she wants to “celebrate the amazing work being done to improve and understand the mental health of young children”. She discussed her charity work and how it led her to realize that unresolved issues in childhood were leading to addiction and mental health problems for many adults. She writes, “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. It became clear to me that many children – even those younger than five – have to deal with complex problems without the emotional resilience, language or confidence to ask for help. 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 the children in their care.”

The new series will explore the issues and work on the mental health of the young child.

I applaud the Huffington Post and the Dutchess of Cambridge for starting this dialogue, and I encourage you to follow and join the discussion. The mental health crisis in the UK mirrors the American crisis, and there is a lot to learn from this ongoing dialogue.

LINKS
Let’s Make a Real Difference for an Entire Generation of Young Children
Duchess of Cambridge raises mental health issues in HuffPost

MENTAL HEALTH – AFTER TRAGEDY VIRGINIA TAKES THE LEAD!

July 24th, 2014

“At the end of the day, I want Virginia to come up with a model for treatment of mental illness,” Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath.

By now many of you have heard the tragic story of Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds, who last fall was stabbed by his son, that same son who then took his own life. Gus Deeds, 24, had been released 13 hours earlier from an emergency custody order after local mental health workers failed to find a hospital psychiatric bed before the involuntary detention order expired.

In a statement to newsadvance.com, “His tragedy really gives voice to all of the families we hear from,” said John Snook, deputy director for governmental affairs at the Treatment Advocacy Center, a national organization based in Arlington.

“Those are families that struggle repeatedly to get help for people they love who are deteriorating in front of them — refusing to bathe and hearing voices. They say, ‘I know what is going to happen, but no one will listen,'” Snook said.

As a psychiatrist here in New York City, I see this same situation. I have met many family members throughout my career who have struggled with the same situation. Where do you go when you need mental health support for a loved one? Who will help the mentally ill if they don’t want to (or can’t) help themselves?

It’s evident that not just the state of Virginia has a fragmented and failing mental health system. Just one example is the clarion call from parents, victims and survivors of mass shootings across this country to make mental health a priority. Something I agree we desperately need to do. Let’s hope that the Joint Subcommittee to Study Mental Health Services in the Commonwealth in the 21st Century will be a leader in finding solutions that other states across the nation can model.

In the meantime, it is important that you let your elected officials know that you too want to see mental health changes in your state. The last thing we want to be doing is cutting services!

Here are some other things you can do if you’re worried about your loved one:

  • Seek out resources – doctors, support groups, mental health clinics, mental health hotlines, etc. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a great resource in helping to support families and educate them on mental illness.
  • If your loved one has a diagnosis – educate yourself about their illness.
  • If you already have a treatment team in place, work close with them.
  • Make sure to take care of yourself. Find a support group or friends to talk to.
  • Click here to read more on the mental health panel in Virginia that began work this week.

#drpaul #drhenrypaul #henrypaulmd #whenkidsneedmeds #mentalhealthteens

DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.