As an individual, your mental health is your own responsibility. No one else is responsible for connecting you with the resources you need or forcing you to do the work necessary to overcome your biggest mental health challenges.

But what exactly does this mean for you? And why is it such an important concept?

Excuses for Intervention

Too often, people look to the State for solutions to our current mental-health crisis. People all over the country are struggling with mental-health issues like depression, anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), so it's only natural that people are looking for possible remedies or ways to reverse the momentum here. But turning to the State is always a bad idea.

That's partially because the State is always looking for an excuse to exert control and intervene. People in government are always looking for reasons to increase the size and scope of government, so they introduce new laws and regulations apparently designed to solve problems -- when in reality, they create additional problems.

Take, for example, these government interventions (both current and planned):

The Individual’s Path to Better Mental Health

So if the government isn't going to assist you with your mental health needs, how can the individual step up and create a path to better mental health?

The Bottom Line

The State is a tyrannical, or at least flawed force that should not be trusted to solve the mental health crisis in the United States. You could even make the argument that government intervention is partially responsible for the increased numbers of mental health sufferers. If you're going to improve your own mental health and support the mental health of the people around you, it's your individual responsibility to take action. Don't rely on anyone else to bail you out.

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