Like honestly folks, here’s the elephant in the room: Our lovely home feels the need to dump endless amounts of cashola into needless crap (ahem, it’s a good percentage of YOUR paycheque) like stadiums, signage for BS smoking spots and so forth. Have we totally forgotten or are just most of us unaware of the ridiculous amounts of unknown suicides related to mental health issues? And no, I’m not talking about depression and anxiety. Yes, I’m well aware these people suffer but so do 99% of the general public. I’m more so talking about severe, life-long conditions such as psychosis-related issues, personality disorders and so forth.
I’m not well versed in rocket appliances and I’m nowhere near a scientologist but I’d be willing to bet the back 40 on the fact that some of the homeless in the HRM suffer from some sort of mental illness. They are out there with little to no help. Hell, me being one of them, I cannot even get into therapy or get the support I need. There’s guys out there that have cut their own fingers off being careless that receive crazy disability tax benefits and I’m trying to rob Joey to pay Ryan to get some Alpo so I’m not hungry. Like come on here, we have to all take a sit down and stop brushing off this huge issue. Almost all mental illnesses are treatable. And I’m not talking about pills galore. Proper nutrition, hydration, excercise and good therapy. Let’s take some of our public funds and help our fellow person. Look at it as a long term investment. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and that my two cents for today. Or should I say five cents. We have to round up now apparently.
—A dude with a dog
This article appears in Nov 22-28, 2018.
The city has no responsibility for health; the province does. No public money has been spent; should it, a stadium might improve people’s health by way of providing a place to watch football. Valium, xanax, clonazepam and other benzodiazepines can control anxiety. So can a loving dog.
In Canada a lot of mental health support is already publicly funded, the trouble is there are wait lists and some alternative forms of treatment aren’t covered. It’s not the city’s responsibility. Moreover as someone who’s been homeless in the past myself, if you can’t afford to be looking after yourself, it’s not very responsible to keep a pet with you. I’m cool with my tax money supporting public health, infrastructure, education and such but if you can’t afford mental healthcare, it should be your top priority to advocate for it, seek out publicly funded care and raise awareness of why you need it, not taking on extra expenses like pets.
“..a stadium might improve people’s health by way of providing a place to watch football.” -Literally the stupidest thing I’ve heard today.
“Football is good for my mental health?” Well sir/madam you can go pop your Ativan and watch some football but I’ll do something more enjoyable like putting my junk in a vice and scraping my nails on a chalkboard. Comments like that come from people who laugh at the garbage man while they wax their Audi. I spent a long time overcoming a health care induced benzo addiction so I’ll choose my healthy mind thank you very much bro. Cleary you didn’t read the article carefully as the edits didn’t help but anxiety is not an issue I’m talking about. Everybody has anxiety. Get it together.
Ummm can’t afford mental health care??? This isn’t Merica there Trump. Exta expenses like pets??? My dog is the reason I’m still here with us today. Figure it out. Mayswell drop my kids off at the SPCA while I’m at it because their crayons cost too much right?
Sir.
No Audi.
I don’t take benzos.
CBT seems odd.
I read it in its entirety.
Still don’t know WTF you’re talking about.
I have it together; I question that you do.
“..a stadium might improve people’s health by way of providing a place to watch football.” That’s a bit of a stretch. Sounds similar to the “trickle down” theory. Cut taxes and/or give government money to the already very wealthy and they will spend it in such a way that it trickles down to benefit the huddled masses. Only it’s long been debunked as a con. The rich just get richer and the rest of us get poorer because we have to pay a higher proportion of taxes to fund services – you know, like health care, education and transportation.
My argument comes from economics which feeds determinants of health. Consider that and then make your counterarguments. Just because you don’t understand my point doesn’t make it stupid. No, I will not explain it to you – Google is your friend.
Please don’t assume people with depression are do not have a serious, life threatening illness. And no, 99% of the population doesn’t have it. People who have Major Depressive Disorder (look it up in the DSM) are often debilitated and many people with this disorder commit suicide. Bipolar type 2 is equally severe but it doesn’t involve psychosis. Halifax needs a facility to treat people with mental illness and more “good” psychiatrists We also need more low income housing and nursing home care. Our government’s priorities are not in the best interest of a large percent of our population.
People are saying the city will pay for a stadium. You don’t think they are going to ask the province to kick in some how?