Mental health pandemic and governments' impotence
(part rant part analysis)
Putting aside the whole debate on origins, management and mismanagement of covid crisis. one could ask himself : what is the deeper problem?
Yes even deeper than (fascist) governments abusing the situation as the always do.
It is simply the fact that any government likes to be seen as if they are doing something about the issue.
Whether they actually are or not, whether it is actually working or not, they like to be seen doing something, since this is their job actually.
It is not so much doing anything really.
They are mostly incapable and not even suited for that.
Governments job (ideally) is to give trust, hope, encouragement and sustain the illusion of stability.
I don't use illusion here in a negative sense.
They are basically just building faith. Like a church, but in a secular way.
Though some liberal philosophers (ex me included) had a fancy idea on how we can all be secular and just agree on things. And be totally scientific about it.
It failed.
Not because it is liberal, but because it misses out a huge part of human nature. (that is a whole topic in itself)
The problem is that it is much easier for them to just implement draconian measures, silence dissent and ostracise critics, than it is actually to address the underlying issues and take a holistic stance.
Like the fact, that we have a mental health pandemic on our hands.
In Ireland in Slovenia in Europe, maybe in the western world at large.
And I am willing to make a bet, that the deaths connected with this pandemic will, in the next decade vastly outnumber all the covid deaths. With covid, because of covid no matter what numbers you take.
Yes it is that bad.
I am not blaming the government here. I have done that enough in my rants. And they do share a large part or responsibility for the crisis, but this is not the place to debate this.
And that would be to easy.
We have to go deeper.
To the fact that dealing with mental illness is very difficult.
I know, from personal experience, from experience of people that were close to me, from experience of people I have supported in their journey to healing and from just watching the sheer scale of mental illness tide that is rising. (you can get the numbers from WHO or whatever source you like, it is beyond doubt).
Any government therefore favours quick, harsh, knee jerk reactions that are translateed into laws, decrees and proclamations that aim to ensure all is well and all will go back to normal.
Nothing will go back to normal.
Attempts at this will fail.
This is the firs thing we must all realise.
And not to attempt some kind of technocratic new normal, unless you want dehumanise people and just have robots.
(In that case, government has lost it's legitimacy and it is a duty of every sovereign person to resist, overthrow and reinstate leaders that have the interest of humanity at heart.)
We must urgently start a dressing the deeper causes of the mental health pandemic.
It starts with destruction of nature, dissolution of community, and all present fear based policies.
This is just presenting the problem.
A necessary start.
I will offer my suggestions in the next writings.
For a start listen to anything and everything Gabor Mate has to say :
Then, if you are a therapist read Sandor Ferenczi. All of his writing.
A great teaching on humility, compassion and courage.
If you are a spiritually inclined listen to Dalailama of Pope Francis.
If you are a scientist start with Joe Dispenza and move on from there.
If you are into ancient traditions check out Ger Lyons.
www.gerlyons. net
But above all : BREATHE.
Loads of Love
Samo Bohak
