(cross-posted from Beyond VSH blog, here)
As sent to Vermont Department of Mental Health (VT DMH) Commissioner Christine Oliver, among others within the administration, fyi (hey, if one cannot have a little fun in this “business”, it just isn’t worth the bother doing):
Mental Health Advocacy Humor BreakSince it is on sale this week, I bought my first pint(s) of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream in a real long time. Could not decide on which of two different flavors to get, so ended up buying both. It is good to be able to enjoy the premium brand name version, rather than generic (lesser quality) versions, of my one and only preferred anti-depressant medication, which is always best when taken proactively of course. I only wish doctors were able to prescribe such and insurance covered it, then I could afford it more often when needed. The fact is I am not, nor have I ever been “treatment resistant”, just very particular about using what works, not what doesn’t.
Okay, the humor break is over now, sort of anyway.
Moral of the story aka food for thought:
Maybe if the State of Vermont were to consider voluntarily offering Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, as well as, even more importantly, other things people could use to meet their basic human needs, including safe, decent and affordable housing when needed, rather than trying to find ways to make it easier as well as faster to force medicate and otherwise “treat” them (read: “treatment”) when they are experiencing a major crisis leading to the emotional and or so-called mental or psychiatric variety or vice versa, people would heal and eventually get better, outcomes would improve, as would their quality of life and, it would be more affordable to do too boot.
While the ice cream might not seem to be so important or vital in the greater scheme of things, it surely could not hurt and certainly would be an improvement over many of the damaging psychotropic drugs, including with all their hazardous effects, people are forced to take.
That stated, the key factor is most of the time they are denied choice in what should be their own treatment decisions, which should not be up to anyone else to make for them.
Do not take my word for it however, try a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and then try the medications forced on people locked up at the Vermont State Hospital (VSH) for yourself and find out which you would most prefer if truly given the choice.
Although the above also touches on more serious matters and concerns afoot of course, it is hoped it is received and taken with the dose of humor it is dipped as well as wrapped within.
🙂 [smile]
Morgan W. Brown
Montpelier, Vermont“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”
— Marie Curie
French (Polish-born) chemist & physicist (1867 – 1934)
So I always just go with Vanilla.
Since it has come up elsewhere and for the sake of clarification if it is needed, as much as it might have seemed to be otherwise, ice cream or comfort food in general was not really the point(s) being made. Mainly I was attempting to use humor in the form of an anecdote of sorts I sometimes share in order to help in the exploring of different ways of thinking about, approaching, dealing with and coping with things, matters and experiences some would only prescribe medication or other such treatment for, including of the forced variety.