As evidenced in the recurring national problems in this country, from school shootings, cancel culture, societal unrest and even a Presidential Assassination, the United States’ approach to mental health is fundamentally flawed. We have a system that prioritizes profit over genuine care. The current treatment model forces everyone into the same cookie-cutter solutions, primarily because that’s where the money is. This profit-driven approach not only creates a bottleneck in our society but also perpetuates the stigma surrounding mental health issues.
There is no money in healthy independent thinking individuals…so our society utilizes systems (public schools and “mental health”) to perpetuate learned helplessness. This is how you condition the masses to be dependent on Governments, Politicians and Regulatory Institutions.
Research shows that our mental health system is heavily geared towards medication and therapy sessions, often neglecting the root causes of mental distress. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), mental health spending in the U.S. exceeds $200 billion annually, with a significant portion directed towards pharmaceuticals and clinical treatments. This financial focus sidelines alternative, potentially more effective approaches, such as community-based support and holistic care.
Our education system compounds the problem by stifling students’ ability to think divergently. Standardized testing and an overemphasis on IQ scores create an environment where creativity and critical thinking are undervalued. A study by George Land and Beth Jarman found that while 98% of kindergarteners scored as creative geniuses, this number plummeted to 12% by age 15. This rigid educational framework fosters learned helplessness, a condition where individuals feel incapable of overcoming their challenges. As psychologist Martin Seligman explains, learned helplessness can lead to chronic mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
By pushing everyone into a narrow treatment model, we ignore the diverse needs of those struggling with mental health. This not only limits the effectiveness of care but also reinforces the stigma that mental health issues are a personal failing rather than a societal one.
It’s time to rethink our approach to mental health. We must invest in preventive measures, diversify treatment options, and reform our education system to foster resilience and creativity. Only then can we break the cycle of stigma and create a more supportive society for everyone.
The solution is Cognitive Fitness Training. Fixing the “Mental Health” problem in our country is actually an easy task. It’s about providing proactive mental health/resilience and emotional intelligence training (Cognitive Fitness) in middle schools. The secret is that you put it in your Physical Education SOLs (standards of learning). It’s NOT AN SEL (social emotional learning) program. It’s BRAIN TRAINING. Teaching kids to train their brains like their biceps. You have to make it fun, engaging and full of techniques they can use.
So on Mondays kids are playing kickball and doing physical exercises and then on Tuesday they are doing breathwork, biohacking, meditation etc.
Implement this into middle schools and withing a decade we will eliminate most of our problems with mental health moving forward as well as making our students more prepared for the modern world and making schools safer.
