Reasons for studying psychology
Should you study psychology if you've been struggling with mental health?
Struggling with mental health certainly doesn't disqualify you from studying psychology, but it is worth remembering that one's personal struggles do not necessarily mean that one is naturally talented or uniquely professionally qualified to help others with different mental health struggles.
Lots of people struggle with mental health in high school and undergrad.
Sometimes, however, a struggle can bring a person "too close" to the issue to see it from other angles. While personal struggle often brings personal insight, one needn't struggle with a particular disorder to be able to help someone else struggling from that disorder.
Sometimes, we can accept past struggles with mental health, then move on to bigger, better things. We can put the past behind us rather than make our lives about our struggles.
I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't pursue psychology if you've had mental health struggles.
You can. Lots of people do.
What I'm suggesting is that you take time to think about it and consider other options.
You may want to help people that have struggled like you, but you may be able to do that in ways other than psychology. You might consider public policy, public health, social work, non-profit work, advocacy work, or other fields that could help struggling people.
Psychology isn't the only option.
Should you study psychology to become a mental health advocate?
You don't need to be a psychologist or psychiatrist to advocate for better mental healthcare. One can advocate for mental health from any profession.
If a mechanic advocated that people bring their cars for more regular check-ups, would you trust that mechanic's advocacy? There's a conflict of interest, right? Move regular check-ups means more work for the mechanic, more money for the mechanic, more prestige for the job of mechanic.
Of course the mechanic wants people to bring in cars for more frequent check-ups.
Of course the psychiatrist thinks mental healthcare is important.
One more mental health professional advocating for mental health might not be as incrementally useful or impactful as one might hope.
Personally, I think it might actually be more impactful for people in other professions outside mental health to advocate for mental health in their field.
For example, if a business leader speaks about overcoming their mental health issues in high school, that's probably more impactful than a psychiatrist saying the same. I think Tim Ferriss talking about his near-suicide or his childhood trauma is probably more impactful in part because mental healthcare isn't his job and isn't related to his professional life. Tim Ferriss has brought millions of dollars of research funding into science.
In a similar way, if a dentist speaks out, or an engineer, or a computer scientist, or an accountant, or a retail manager, or any of a wide variety of people in a wide variety of careers speak out, I think that approach might be more impactful than one more mental healthcare professional. People in diverse careers sharing and advocating together can show how people can heal, move on, and be fulfilled despite their struggles.
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