Thank you, Paula. You're right. Everyone will be impacted, and even if not personally, the folks in their communities, family members, and co-workers will feel it.
Having been a mental health counselor for 20 years and now retired for 5, before these new political developments came about , I was disappointed with the lack of funding and insurance coverage for mental health treatment. This has been an area our society has ignored for a long time. We have an overuse of medication treatment for children because we no longer research alternatives and in my experience the schools are not either willing or not trained in offering alternatives to accommodate different learning styles.
I have seen the benefits of medications but we do often fail to use other forms of treatment because it costs money and requires time and effort and frankly caring. Our food is a major part of our health and behavior problems. We were making little progress for a very long time and I would ask why. Why didn’t we fund mental health treatment and good research that lead to changes in ways to help these populations. Why have the problems gotten so large and out of control? In order to not be so sick our society would benefit from adopting a healthy mindset and create a healthy society that supports those in need. Looking for political solutions from an entity that doesn’t care about the best interests of humanity is never going to work. Government is not meant to solve these problems it is set up to control which is the opposite of health. Bringing together researchers , clinicians, entrepreneurs, and a caring community could unleash creative energy to accomplish so much . It is beyond time to move to a new way of serving one another.
Thank you, Jerre. I completely agree. There is too much reliance on medications to address the serious lifestyle problems associated with, for example, poor nutrition and lack of exercise. I also see how minimal health insurance coverage for mental health treatment leaves mental health professionals in the position of either refusing to adhere to their control and accepting reimbursement that pays very little, or declining participation on insurance panels just so a livable wage is possible.
Unfortunately, this new administration's statement that medications (which are sometimes needed, and when prescribed appropriately) pose a threat adds to the stigma so many people feel when seeking help, and may deter them from help completely. Their decision to slash funding for research and much needed treatment programs does not suggest any reasonable attempt to resolve this medication dilemma through anything other than political opinion. And without funding, the pharmaceutical companies will take up the slack and continue to promote medications rather than first-line treatments. There will be little accountability when that occurs.
I am sharing this widely. Thanks for applying your time and skill to summarizing these alarming developments. I am looking forward to your commentary on additional implications for our gifted and 2e population.
Thank you, Mary. I appreciate your comments. Yes, I also plan to somehow alternate between mental health related topics and those related to G/2e adults and children. Thanks for sticking around!
This information needs to be shared, Gail. Thank you. People of all political beliefs will be negatively impacted.
Thank you, Paula. You're right. Everyone will be impacted, and even if not personally, the folks in their communities, family members, and co-workers will feel it.
Having been a mental health counselor for 20 years and now retired for 5, before these new political developments came about , I was disappointed with the lack of funding and insurance coverage for mental health treatment. This has been an area our society has ignored for a long time. We have an overuse of medication treatment for children because we no longer research alternatives and in my experience the schools are not either willing or not trained in offering alternatives to accommodate different learning styles.
I have seen the benefits of medications but we do often fail to use other forms of treatment because it costs money and requires time and effort and frankly caring. Our food is a major part of our health and behavior problems. We were making little progress for a very long time and I would ask why. Why didn’t we fund mental health treatment and good research that lead to changes in ways to help these populations. Why have the problems gotten so large and out of control? In order to not be so sick our society would benefit from adopting a healthy mindset and create a healthy society that supports those in need. Looking for political solutions from an entity that doesn’t care about the best interests of humanity is never going to work. Government is not meant to solve these problems it is set up to control which is the opposite of health. Bringing together researchers , clinicians, entrepreneurs, and a caring community could unleash creative energy to accomplish so much . It is beyond time to move to a new way of serving one another.
Thank you, Jerre. I completely agree. There is too much reliance on medications to address the serious lifestyle problems associated with, for example, poor nutrition and lack of exercise. I also see how minimal health insurance coverage for mental health treatment leaves mental health professionals in the position of either refusing to adhere to their control and accepting reimbursement that pays very little, or declining participation on insurance panels just so a livable wage is possible.
Unfortunately, this new administration's statement that medications (which are sometimes needed, and when prescribed appropriately) pose a threat adds to the stigma so many people feel when seeking help, and may deter them from help completely. Their decision to slash funding for research and much needed treatment programs does not suggest any reasonable attempt to resolve this medication dilemma through anything other than political opinion. And without funding, the pharmaceutical companies will take up the slack and continue to promote medications rather than first-line treatments. There will be little accountability when that occurs.
Again, thank you for your helpful thoughts!
I am sharing this widely. Thanks for applying your time and skill to summarizing these alarming developments. I am looking forward to your commentary on additional implications for our gifted and 2e population.
Thank you, Mary. I appreciate your comments. Yes, I also plan to somehow alternate between mental health related topics and those related to G/2e adults and children. Thanks for sticking around!
Thank you for this great review of what’s happening.
Thank you, Amber!
Great title! Thank you for sharing this important information.
Thanks so much! I hope it is helpful.
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