I’m Excited to Be a Member of the #SameHere Psych Alliance

I am excited to now be a member of the #SameHere Psych Alliance. You can read my profile, including my own #SameHere story, here.

The #SameHere Alliance believes that life experiences, physical traumas, genetics, and other factors make it so that everyone’s mental health is affected in some form or another, at varying levels – and that we must move away from classifying people as either “sick” or “not.”

Mental health stats say that 1 in 4 people suffer from mental illness, but in reality life is hard for all of us. Yes, ALL of us…including someone as famous and talented as Brittney Spears. In fact, her story could not have come to the international attention at a better time! What impact does being in the spotlight from such a young age, to be commodified, to be controlled by supposedly well-wishing adults who stand to gain so much financially in having you be “controlled” legally and psychiatrically?

Is the expression of distress exhibited by Britney Spears (the oh-so-old incident) 14 years ago; a cry for help for liberation and salvation from her life or is it “just bipolar disorder” to be medicated and subdued? Or is it the natural outcome of events and pressures any person subjected to will manifest?

To de-stigmatize mental illness, the #SameHere Alliance is striving to introduce this concept that, because life is hard, we all experience symptoms of mental illness at some point in our lives. But we can also overcome these struggles. Working together, it is our goal to open up the world to this “everyone is affected” concept, and make it socially acceptable amongst friends, family, and coworkers to talk freely about our mental health concerns and battles, and to applaud those who share those concerns and ask for help.

The #SameHere Alliance is also passionate about educating against the seduction of psychopharm meds for such problems. Life is to be lived and it’s problems are to be experienced, but with support, self-compassion, self-love and faith.

You can learn more about this amazing organization, it’s programs, alliances and more at SameHereGlobal.org. This organization is for all of us to join in and support the cause of de-stigmatization of life experience that is medicalized. So, please join in and support in any way you can.