We’ve come a long way from the days when there was an expectation that we should button our lips and keep our emotions under wraps--and when a lack of any serious attempt to deal with emotional issues allowed medical quackery to flourish.
In the past, desperation forced people to turn to clairvoyants (to be told life will get better), aura cleansing (to pluck away negative energy) and any numbers of “life coaches” (to be shown, I guess, how to get a life), before reaching for the afternoon sherry, tranquilizer or Bex to keep calm. It's hard to believe that my husband was once the delivery boy 35 years ago for a local pharmacy, dropping weekly prescriptions of Serepax and Mogadon door to door for women who had no other means of coping with their emotional issues.
Suffering in silence, having the family suffer behind closed doors and resorting to medical quackery or self-medication is no longer necessary. Women’s emotional and mental health issues are a main stream legitimate concern. The persistent efforts of mental health professionals over many decades have lead to major advances in public awareness and proven treatments that do not depend on long term harmful benzodiazapine use.
Mental health is, as the name implies, primarily a health issue. As such, it should be dealt with by trained and qualified health professionals. Thankfully, both state and federal governments have made it easier for people to seek the treatment they need.
By their nature, mental health issues can make it difficult to seek treatment. As difficult as it may seem to pick up the phone, leave the house or confide in another, real help is available. Your situation and emotional state are legitimate concerns. Please call a professional psychologist or your GP. You can ask a friend or family member to make the first contact for you, or to come to your first session if you prefer.
