Some Memes for Mental Health on Veterans Day

REDPIXEL/AdobeStock

PSYCHIATRIC VIEWS ON THE DAILY NEWS

In his press conference the day after the Midterm elections, President Biden was asked what, besides empathy, is needed for the country to move forward. He said that empathy for the needs of the public required action to address those needs. The example he used was to increase resources for mental health care. No argument there, other than the desire to preventively reduce the escalating need for mental health care in the first place.

Perhaps, then, another action that could be taken would be publicizing more memes or slogans for mental health. These could go on billboards, sidewalks, online, and media ads, among various places. In that regard, in an earlier column, we asked readers for suggestions and here are some of them:

From a Canadian colleague:

Talk it through.

Think well of your shrink.

Hurry to share a worry.

Boozers are losers.

Body and mind are intertwined.

From a US citizen:

Care about yourself; help is there for you.

From a colleague and author:

A fave is “Be kind to yourself . . . and others.”

From a colleague, a child & adolescent psychiatrist:

A Human Mantra: Be Caring, Respectful, Tolerant, Benevolent

From a lawyer:

Like our courts, contribute to our collective mental health.

Reject unfounded election denier claims.

There is an organization devoted “to help you learn, heal, and grow.” It is called The School of Life and they just came out with a new book called The School of Life: Quotes to Live By, described as “a collection of enlightening quotes to deliver some of the most important lessons The School of Life has to offer, accompanied by humorous illustrations.” Some mental health examples are:

“The only people we can think of as normal are those we don’t yet know very well.”

“Love is a skill, not just an enthusiasm.”

“Anxiety deserves a greater dignity.”

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. Whether you served in the military—as I did as Major Moffic and 1 of 2 psychiatrists on the army base—or not, we all have a day to protect our country. In its broadest sense, that goes beyond military action in conflict to the well-being of our democracy, meaning the whole country, not just our tribes and ourselves. Therefore, my slogan is:

We Are All Veterans!

Dr Moffic is an award-winning psychiatrist who has specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry. A prolific writer and speaker, he received the one-time designation of Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association in 2002. He is an advocate for mental health issues related to climate instability, burnout, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism for a better world. He serves on the Editorial Board of Psychiatric Times™.

Reference

1. The School of Life: Quotes to Live By. The School of Life; 2023.