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Friday, May 6, 2022

Writing Prompt #19

Do you think government officials are concerned enough about the needs of young people? How can young people make their voices heard?

No. There is more work to do still.

Back when I was in grade school, there weren't as many major issues as there are today. Bullying was probably the worst of it. No one ever heard about family issues but I'm sure those happened quietly behind closed doors. Today young people are bombarded by family problems, depression, sexuality issues and political turmoil, both here in the US and abroad. On top of that there is the usual stress with school and work (if you are in college).

The family unit has vastly changed just in the last decade. More and more couples are divorced. Sometimes there is no father figure. Depression is on the rise. Anxiety is a common issue too. Sexuality and gender identity are also a common thing youth stress about. As if figuring your self out is not already hard enough. Politics directs how they are supposed to think. Youth no longer follow in the footsteps of their forefathers and family members. School is stressful as it is but the above issues compound everything else.

I feel the government does not provide easy access to the necessary services to deal with everything. Many fall through the cracks so to speak. As an adult I find it next to impossible to get help, even with insurance.

Fast forward to 2022. 
I had to call 30 therapists to find 3 in my insurance network and 2 were not accepting new patients. And then there was 1. I tried that one for 5 or 6 sessions and felt like I was talking to a parrot. The Rogerian method is not for everyone. Its still hard to find the help you need. Medication alone is not always the answer. The main idea is to be on medications for 6 months while going through therapy and then wean off when you learn to think differently. But that's a topic for another day.

Melody out!