discuss Mental Health: Today and Every Day

[Bob Hawkes]

Today is world mental health day so I thought I would start a thread, not to discuss domain names but rather to discuss mental health.

It is important that every day we reach out to those who suffer mental health challenges, and make sure that they have the support and assistance they need, and the respect that they deserve.

As a society we must make mental health for everyone a priority. We must do what we can individually and also insist that our governments and organizations respond in a caring way.

In our own lives we must keep in mind mental health in the same way it is important to eat right and exercise. We must find balance and be reflective about what is healthy for us, and reach out when we need assistance.

My recent blog post about taking a break was partly related to domain success, but finding a balance is also important for mental health. If domaining is becoming addictive, have the strength to step back a little and make sure to cherish other things in your life.

We must realize that mental health is health. Someone suffering from mental health issues is, except in the challenges of getting the right care and respect, no different from someone with heart disease or diabetes.

I hope others will comment and contribute to this thread. Let's talk.

Bob

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I suspect that the statistics for the rest of the world are not that different, but in Canada in any one year 1 in 5 will experience a mental illness or addiction issue, and by the time people reach age 40, 50% have had a mental illness, whether treated or not (statistics here from CAMH).

Particularly important to realize is that most mental health issues first arise in childhood and early adolescence. It is easy to overlook or ignore the signs. I know. Listen and be observant.

The most affected age group is 15 to 24, but mental health challenges affect all age groups.

In Canada the Bell Let's Talk program has done a lot to make talking about mental illness lose its stigma. The involvement of well known athletes and personalities who talked directly about their own challenges has made a real difference.

Bob

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I think that mental health can, in some cases, be an issue in domaining. This can be for a variety of reasons including:

• The stress of whether we made the right decisions and the uncertain nature of many domain investments
• If we do outbound sales the stress of unpleasant responses from time to time.
• The solitary nature of most domain operations that are single-person.
• The addictive side to domain acquisitions.
• Stress sometimes caused or made worse by negative reactions on social media.

What should be added to my list?

I would love to have some other views expressed in this thread!

Thank you,

Bob

 

[J Sokol]

Thanks you @Bob Hawkes for bringing World Mental Health Day to our attention. The statistics you quote above are staggering:

I suspect that the statistics for the rest of the world are not that different, but in Canada in any one year 1 in 5 will experience a mental illness or addiction issue, and by the time people reach age 40, 50% have had a mental illness, whether treated or not (statistics here from CAMH).

I don't know too much about mental health funding in most countries, but I know that in the U.S, services are seriously underfunded. On a positive note, though, the trend towards more openness about mental ill health will hopefully lead to more folks getting treatment.
I've been listening to a great podcast from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) that addresses the many forms of mental ill health and neurodiversity. It has really helped me understand the changes that have taken place in the mental health field over the past decade and the progress that has been made in treating this insidious problem.
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/