Tragedy, Crisis and Mental Health in America

Las Vegas startled me, Florida startled me and an incident in a city that I called home for close to a decade that caught the attention of national news startled me. I am not easily startled. As a mental health practitioner, we are subjected to second hand trauma as our clients share their journeys filled with neglect, abuse, abandonment and internal struggles. Though I am continuously trained and educated on how to not only work with these clients but also take care of myself, it is no easy feat. It is my job and I treat it as such. Being in this field, however, does not pardon me from having my own life’s interruptions and tragedies. But tomorrow always comes. In these traumatic events, mental health is always discussed. I admit that I subject myself to the media, reading the comments that people contribute from all over the country. I am in the field of studying people, and perhaps I just cannot help myself, it fascinates me. The polarizations of responses to national tragedies includes sarcastic political remarks, to religious prayers and concern for the most “sinful” attackers. It is a consistent question about the mental health field, abilities and services being cut. And though most people who make these comments are only referencing what they see in political debates, they are not wrong. I have seen first-hand the power of thorough, life-changing mental health interventions, where teams of nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists and clinicians put their efforts to...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Children and Teens Criminal Justice History of Psychology Minding the Media Personal Policy and Advocacy Stigma Stress Students Trauma Violence and Aggression Asylum Health Insurance Involuntary commitment mass shooting mass Source Type: blogs