Mental health accessibility goes beyond affordability.

Money matters or mental heath matters first?

I saw a post one day stating how mental health professionals were hypocrites.

On one end charging prices that individuals in need aren't able to afford, while on the other end stating they would want individuals to have accessibility of the services they need.

When we think about accessibility of mental health it seems that we only focus on the ease of getting the services.

More often than not, the focus is on the financial cost that clients hope could be reduced, and mental health professionals would like to maintain so as to retain their abilities and quality of services.

The focus of the general population then turns into affordability rather than accessibility.

While the mental health professionals would like individuals in need to have accessibility, the focus being ease of reaching out to such services.

Or the ability to provide the services to individuals in need as soon as possible if their slots are packed fully.

It is impossible to answer who is right, as both clients in need and professionals wanting to provide services to clients are trying to do something for the benefit of themselves.

Let's embrace understanding over fixing.

My proposed different perspective of what the accessibility of mental health service means is not about affordability, ease of reaching but one that focuses on the ease of having mental health being understood or appreciated.

In Asian culture, mental health is still something shunned upon, and with the idea of positive energy and positive vibes, even the western countries are slowly shunning and shaming the ones feeling less adapted to the larger society.

As mental health is something observable by behavior but not like physical health injuries.

Mental health issues are similar to financial health issues, in times of such incidents happening, we tend to perceive the ones experiencing the issues are the cause of the problem to be "fixed".

As we cannot see the "loss" that is intangible, we easily make sense that the "loss" comes from that which is tangible, the person involved.

Eg. Your financial situation is how it is because you did some wrong planning in your own financial management aspect.

Imagine a world where open discussions and empathy surround mental health

What if mental health was openly discussed and appreciated when individuals show more emotional, behavioural or cognitive expression of their mental health?

What if the vulnerabilities of mental health were allowed to be easily understood with empathy rather than understood as a "problem" needing to be "fixed"?

What if the focus is understanding and not fixing?

What if companies act on what they preach and advocate and have open discussions related to mental health wellbeing of every individual?

No fear of judgment, just compassionate support to access mental health resources

My guess would be that if such openness to the topic of mental health was more easily spoken of rather than being shunned or attempting to be fixed, the feelings of shame to talk and access the necessary help would increase.

Employees would be able to discuss their mental health state and needs with their management without fear of discrimination or their livelihood being affected because of their mental health needs.

Individuals could talk about their mental health with anyone they know, without fear of judgment because everyone would understand that what they may be going through is part of the life experience that different individuals go through at different times, without the need to compare or "help".

If they are not shamed or attempted to be fixed, any individual would be able to talk about their mental health status and receive support to direct them with understanding towards which mental health professionals or school of therapeutic approaches could be helpful for them.

Thereby increasing their accessibility to the topic of mental health with a compassionate society, and if they have the need for professional assistance, they can initiate and receive further access to therapeutic processes.

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