“Leave mental health and parenting to parents,” says one parent in Southlake, Texas. She believes that having counselors available to talk to students about suicide prevention is not only a waste of money but a way to advertise suicide and that many parents in the affluent suburban school system have hired tutors because the district’s counselors are too focused on mental health instead of helping students prepare for college. Do you think she has a valid point? Let’s talk about it.
Mary Svetlik Watkins: “I was in an emerging leader program for my school district. One of the topics was mental health. The lead counselor for the district said that 57 elementary students were in a program for suicide prevention – six of them were kindergarteners. This was before the pandemic. Before the world went crazy. Mental health is a thing and for adults there is a huge stigma about getting help. For children with mental health issues help is impossible to get and happens often only after something happens.”
Stefani Shamloo: “That’s the problem with mental health today.. parents like her. Education is the key. Mental health is real. Stigma is real. EDUCATE AND ADVOCATE.”
Michelle Morris: ”More than not, parents with this viewpoint have had some sort of trauma and have not at some point felt like “it didn’t help them”. I understand and respect her view however, parents that typically say that are the ones asking or not knowing what to do with unruly, violent and or children with suicidal ideation. As far as school counseling, It is a must that counselors focus on mental Health. Should we remind them of all the shootings (shootings in general) by minors? Most schools have after and before school tutoring that is not being utilized!”
Thomas Mc: “Most parents are mentally ill and massively undereducated…this idea that a parent knows best in all things just because they donated a sperm and egg is incredibly naive.”
Corrine: “Growing up, in my household, we never talked about therapy. For the longest time I thought it wasn’t for people who looked like me. And I didn’t think mental health was something I needed to worry about. Then 2020 happened and I realized I really needed someone to talk to. I really needed a licensed therapist to talk about my depression, anxiety and help me understand why I’m feeling a certain way.”
Mikee Brosas: “This is beyond the pale. These peeps really need to be reminded that mentally deprived persons are not weak— they are sick. The moment when people like these refuse to acknowledge the differences of every individual; their emotional and psychological capacity, circumstances, privileges, and the like, is the very time they would allow themselves to still create stereotypical remarks, that also permits mental health ignominy to subsist. It’s already 2021. I hope everyone educates themselves most especially when it comes to this kind of matter.”
Rean: “I remember how I want to commit s*icide because my father kept degrading my chosen college course. I remember how anxiety made me awake at night. Other people will never know until they, too, experience the same situation.”
Victor Venida: “I guess people won’t really understand the concept of mental disorders unless they experienced it themselves. The mental health stigma is one of the hardest things to eradicate due to people who have this kind of mindset. They refuse to be educated and yet they brag about a lot of stuff which they were not even aware of. This kind of stupidity is not something we should tolerate. People with mental health disorders need the right amount of therapy, intervention and pharmacological intervention in order for them to recover from their illnesses.”
Anne Dominique Perez: “I once had a friend whom I lost due to suicide. I regretted not being there at her lowest. She overdosed and only left a single letter behind. Now, I find this comment hateful and saddening at the same time. One of the reasons why I took psychology is to do my best to be of help to those who are struggling. Little by little, ask for help. Let your worries be heard. Mental health is real. Mental health professionals are here to help.”
Sun Su: “I have a nephew that commited suicide a year ago. It’s really depressing. He was an athlete and intelligent, but there was something inside him that he never wanted to talk about. One day he took his own life. After that we discovered that he was struggling with something personal. He left a message on his personal laptop. That is when we found out about his depression. So guys be compassionate to everyone. DEPRESSION IS NOT A JOKE.”
