Society conscious mental health perspectives & practices
Society conscious mental health perspectives
A society conscious mental health perspective is when the impact that society has on mental health is mindfully taken into consideration, both on an individual and collective basis.
More specifically, it takes into consideration when, why, and how cultural, social, economic and institutional elements of society have a positive or negative psychological effect on people. It also recognizes the ideal societal contexts that humans more intuitively resonate with, are enriched in, and inspired by, regardless of how common or uncommon these might be in today's world.
A society conscious mental health perspective is also aware of people's specific psychological needs reflecting their personality type, and more universal sociological human needs like for example the following:
People need purpose and relevance: People are mentally enriched by a purpose filled social identity providing concrete direction, cohesive synergy and community relevance.
People need tangible social recognition: People need to be recognized beyond one's immediate family on a personal level, in a concrete way and on a human to human basis. They need to be treated and recognized by their society as being more than a number, consumer, trader of service, systematic beneficiary or institutionally processed citizen.
People need archetypal community relationships: People intuitively resonate with various types of community relational roles, like for example, “mentor & apprentice“, “social foster & supporter“, "social inspiration & supporter", "social sibling", etc. People are fulfilled by having these connections explicitly determined and openly expressed, which enables rich, symbolic and meaningful sentimental value. Having them defined and understood more specifically than just being labeled as "friends" for example, leaves less room for misunderstandings, misconceptions and misplaced expectations. Archetypal community relationships also serve as underlying guiding principles for the direction and growth of long term bonds.
Society conscious mental health practices
Society conscious mental health practices is the proactive initiative to integrate concrete and practical ways to apply the perspectives of society conscious mental health. For example:
By choosing social integration more critically: The goals of mental health are often associated with integrating and optimally functioning into our world. A society conscious approach to mental health however also considers the contradictions of trying to adapt to a society that's often toxic to mental health in the first place. This opens the door to carefully choose and measure which aspects of society are worth adapting to and which ones are deemed too mentally damaging according to our capacities and personality types.
By minimizing new damages caused by social integration: In many contexts, it’s either not an option to avoid toxic aspects of society or one can judge it too costly to do so. Fully immersing one’s personal identity into a world of mediocrity and sociopathy inevitably affects the overall quality of our mental well being. Society conscious mental health practices make it possible to limit some of these damages by carefully participating with limited investment. Explicitly identifying the toxic domains we find ourselves in as being too primitive and chaotic in their current form to be conducive to mental health is key to protect ourselves from the full capacity of their damage.
By advocating and influencing cultures to become more conducive to mental well being: Society conscious mental health practices enable the noble goal of advancing social, political and cultural domains for the purpose of having them properly resonate with psychological human needs.
By creating society conscious mental health resources and collaborative communities: Providing platforms, tools and subcultures to compensate for blind spots concerning our natural sociological needs is absolutely an essential key purpose filled work.