LETTER TO THE EDITOR
On May 26, 2021, I read in your newspaper, the article entitled, “Mental Health and the Pandemic” written by Donna Carrasco, an Integrated Behavioral Health Counselor.
Today’s world very much revolves around coping strategies, stress relief techniques, and one’s ability to achieve a quality mindset.
With the coronavirus pandemic, people received messages to stay at home. Americans were encouraged to use antibacterial cleaners in their homes to protect themselves and others from getting a respiratory virus. Being able to breathe became an important aspect of our existence.
As we just celebrated the month of May as mental health awareness time, the most effective legal approach to psychiatric care requires confidentiality. It is inappropriate to share a “surge in appointments for depression and anxiety” in the newspaper as this may be viewed as a slanderous, malicious attack.
The Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program utilizes slogans such as: “Keep It Simple” or “Let Go and Let God”. Additionally, within the closing of each 12-step meeting, the Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon both show confidentiality with a saying: “What you hear here, let it stay here.” Several selfhelp programs encourage participants to not disclose private facts shared in the gatherings.
H.A.L.T., a slogan utilized in 12-step program meetings assists people in ascertaining their own needs. “H” stands for hungry, and “A” means angry. “L” equals lonely. Finally, “T” signifies tired. Using this coping method, a person asks himself, “Are you hungry? Are you angry? Are you lonely? Are you tired?”. If the answer concludes “Yes”, then stop, take time to rest.
Very few people have the expertise to diagnose another’s mental condition accurately. A person may sometimes receive a wrong diagnosis being railroad ed by an uneducated person with an intent to harm.
Yes, depression is known to be most prevalent in the Spring Season, especially in the month of April. One magazine article stated that eating spinach relieves depression. The cartoon character named “Popeye, the Sailor Man” ate spinach always in his animated filmstrip.
The people that enter the Nagel Clinic’s rights and self-respect must be considered to provide any quality counseling service. If the mental health clients receive a “depressed diagnosis” in the town newspaper, people may watch outside the clinic looking to see who is called “depressed” by the Integrated Behavioral Health.
Also, negative characteristics I noticed in today’s counseling approaches include disregard for the calendar, as well as the shunning of photographs and mirrors.
Sincerely,
- Christie Yeates Bryam, Texas