Recently Kid Cudi,(Scott Mescudi), bravely made a strong and public announcement. He has decided to check himself into a center to work on depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. There are many aspects to this that make it so great he was brave enough to let the world know.
1. He’s a celebrity. He is showing us his fallible humanity. He is letting us know; EVERYONE IS SUSCEPTIBLE.
2. He is forcing people to realize that as a nation we need to help people with mental health disorders instead of pretending like we don’t exist, or discounting us because they can’t physically see what is wrong.
3. He has helped a community of people that has been known for not speaking out about their depression and mental health issues. Go on twitter and search #YouGoodMan.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never actively listened to Kid Cudi, not because I don’t like his music, it just never has been top of mind. Then I saw a video of him on a talk show discussing his depression, and honestly, it inspired me to talk a bit more about mine. Then the news broke that he is checking himself into a facility to get help. FUCK YES KID CUDI YOU ARE INSANELY STRONG AND BRAVE. I do not say this like I am saying ‘I am sending you my prayers and thoughts,’ I say this because as a person with depression, anxiety, and everything that comes with it, that is one of the hardest decisions of a person’s life. As happy as I am that mental health, depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts are getting attention, I want to make sure people who read this know it is not that easy what Kid Cudi has done.
I remember when a teacher wrote a letter to Stephen Curry, he asked him never to speak at his school because he achieved his life in a way that his students could never. This is how I feel about the news about Mescudi. I want him to get all the help possible, when he feels safe again, I’d love to speak with him. But we people, with mental health disorders, do not have the same luxury as him (This does not mean I have less respect for him and what he is doing). We can’t plan all of our business needs before hand or people taking care of things on the outside. Have you ever been to a facility like that? If you aren’t made of money, it’s not a fun place. People who are supposed to take care of you dismiss you. They will take away all your things that help you calm a panic attack down and yell at you and say ‘We can’t help you until you learn to calm your panic attacks.’ They will tell you at 8 am rounds will be coming and then by 12 am no one arrives and you have to fight to get someone to come up. They will tell you they have more important patients downstairs that need tending to, and who am I to demand their time away from those you can see a physical injury?
What I am trying to get at is, unless you have a lot of money and security of an income after you leave, just checking into a place to treat your depression and suicidal thoughts has a strong possibility to make you worse rather than better.
I do not want this to become another part of the narrative of when people talk to their friends with these mental health disorders. Some examples are ‘Go for a walk, fresh air will help,’ ‘Change your perspective,’ ‘Other people have it worse,’ ‘Try people watching,’ ‘Have you tried, mindfulness/meditation/joyable or any of those online anxiety ‘helping’ apps,’ ‘Are you seeing someone about this?’ or ‘Just think positive thoughts.’ I truly hope I will never hear ‘Just check into a hospital for a bit, that celebrity did it and look at them now!’. Because it is simply just not that easy.
Discrimination against people with mental health disorders does not leave once you enter a facility with doctors. I have yet to meet one doctor that knows how to deal with a panic attack or even recognize one. And I grew up in with a self-proclaimed Dr. Jewish Mom, I have seen a lot of doctors in my lifetime.
So please, I ask of you. Support Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi) and his path to recovery. But also, please don’t think this is a solution that everyone can just simply do. Keep learning, keep stopping discrimination against people like us. We are people too, you know? Probably some of the best people you know as well.
Originally published at medium.com