It’s time to recognize mental health as essential to physical health [RawStory.com]

This MD sees the world myopically thru the distorting lens of bio-reductionism.  No acknowledgement of the profound impact of ACE's, environment & context, such as poverty, racism and other traumas.  He disease-ifies distress, and focuses only on neurons rather than neighborhoods.   Psychiatry seems to miss the forest and the trees. 

This is SO true and so timely as we closed out May as Mental Health Awareness month AND Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month!

For those who don't know, there is a dedicated group on Aces Connection "ACEs in Maternal Mental Health". It exists to help those on both sides of the conversation find each other and learn how to bring the worlds together - behavioral health and physical health integration into the delivery and healthcare payment system is critical to ensuring that our future generations thrive. Around California and now the US there are groups and collaboratives working hard dto address Maternal Mental health recognizing that this is the most upstream we can go to ensure that our next generation has the very best start. And we want to equip mothers to be that child's very best guardian, nurturer, protector, and teacher. But just like the airlines teach us about the oxygen mask on adults first...we have to invest in the system that takes care of the children and that begins with mom.

The National Coalition for Maternal Mental Health and 2020MOM are two advocacy organizations that are dedicated to addressing Maternal Mental Health. Check out their websites and follow their work. Thanks to leaders like Joy Burkhard and Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, the national conversation has begun.

At the end of June, look for a shoutout to Aces Connection on the 2020MOM website. It's time to bring ACEs and MMH together and to the forefront!