Page on Mental Health

I hate mental disorders. 

I hate that they are so complicated to explain in neuroscience. And I hate that they affect so many people that no one can seem to fix. 

First of all, there is a difference between mental disorders and emotional disruptions - while the former almost always cause the latter, not everyone experiencing anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts will have a mental disorder. I'm not sure which one is more alarming. Though this is not important, I would like to mention that teenagers and young adults do have elevated levels of stress, but it doesn't mean they have a mental disorder. This is to say that medical intervention isn't always required for these subjects. The clear and obvious requirement is always strong social support. Beyond that, therapy should be the second choice. 

Nevertheless, the problem is the romanticization of them in books and movies. EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS ARE NOT COOL. Saying you have a mental disorder shouldn't be taken lightly. 

Honestly, none of this would matter if it wasn't for suicidal thoughts. 

There are several suicidal characters in my books. And though I try to address them as severe problems that must be fixed, it still can influence the readers in a negative way. I am very sorry for that. I do put a brief note of what to expect before reading each book. I do not think there is any point in putting 'Trigger Warnings' because studies show that they are not effective.¹,²

What do people say? "You are not alone"? "You can talk to me if you want"? These are stupid things to say if the person doesn't want to open up to you or anyone else. It has to be insistent. That is why I want you to see this page on the navigation panel every time you open the website. 

I have some training in psychology. I do listen to a lot of depressed and suicidal people. If you do not feel okay, I NEED YOU TO CONTACT ME. I'll text and call you as soon as I can. 

But if you prefer to speak to a professional in your language, here are two websites for hotlines - 

https://www.suicidestop.com/call_a_hotline.html

https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/

Here are two Reddit pages that I think have a great community - 

https://www.reddit.com/r/depression/

https://www.reddit.com/r/SuicideWatch/

If you need me, I'll be there for you. I promise. 

1. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2167702620921341;

2. https://www.paytonjjones.com/publication/tw_boysen_learning/tw_boysen_learning.pdf