Mental health

 Whenever a person acts outside of the boundaries of an accepted social norm is that a mental health issue? That's certainly what I'm hearing these days. It's the reasoning behind all the medications being prescribed, all the therapists and counselors, the mental health professionals. Having a differing political opinion may be an indication of a mental health issue. Isn't that what we hear every single day? It's called TDS (Trump derangement syndrome) and you're crazy. We all know about those liberal lunatics as well, fragile human beings with no emotional stability whatsoever, triggered at every offense. We are even changing laws to protect their "feelings" in an attempt to ease the mental anguish they suffer. We started calling that identifying and you are required to validate that. If you do not, you suffer from a lack of empathy. That's called psychopathy, sociopathy or narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). It's a mental illness. 

  Criminals are now just having a mental health crisis when committing their crimes. Some police departments require a mental health professional to respond to those criminal activities prior to actual law enforcement professionals. After all, it's not their fault, it's a mental health crisis! Those folks should receive support and services not punishment. You can't hold them accountable for failure to control their emotions. They can't help that and if you think they can, you are lacking empathy. It's you that have the problem. You really need to be more understanding. It isn't their fault, it may even be a systemic issue within society itself. There's nothing wrong with being a mental case, that's normal. What's wrong is pointing out that as person doesn't have a mental issue, blaming them for their choices. 

  The new normal. That's what we are really talking about when we discuss mental health. Societal norms. That's the reason the "big book" is under constant revision. The DSM is one of those "big books" that describes societal norms as far as behaviors go. Being a headhunter was a societal norm and rumor has it that it remains that way in some societies deep in the jungles. A man dressing as a women, in public was never a "norm" in America, and I'd suggest it still isn't, but has become "tolerated." The watchwords of today being Diversity, Inclusion and Equity. Really that means, anything goes, you have to accept that, and everyone receives the exact same treatment. The norm is whatever I say it is. The only litmus test being, does it directly affect me. You can't rob me, beat me up or take my money but you can identify as a cat. You being a cat doesn't affect me. It isn't a mental health issue at all, perfectly normal. Now if any of that causes you mental anguish, upsets you in some fashion, maybe causing sleepless nights or feelings of anger, you are having a mental health crisis. Seek treatment. We can medicate that. 

  When your personal conscience is in opposition to the social conscience is that a mental health issue? We follow social convention because of our conscience. We follow civil authority to avoid punishment. It's true that your conscience guides you to following that civil authority, to do what is right, what is best for the society in general but it is the threat of punishment that enforces that conscious decision. The question becomes, which is correct? It's a mixed bag for certain. Not all social decisions are the strictly moral and/or ethical choice.

 It's what we call "discriminating" when it is in opposition to our personal beliefs. A mental health professional will attempt to align your personal conscience with the societal conscience. Briefly, talk some sense into you. If talking doesn't work, medications may prove helpful, and at one time a lobotomy was also a valid decision. Today, the treatment is to convince you that you are fine, it's everyone else that is wrong. To make you comfortable with yourself, just the way you are, no adjustment necessary. We can't cure mental illness, only treat it. As true today as it was a thousand years ago. Some of ya'll are just plain nuts.