Today Judge Mack joins us on the show to give us his perspectives on the topic of behavioral health and suicide in the communities he engages in. Throughout his childhood, his previous career as a police officer, and his current position as Montgomery County judge, Mack has witnessed the mental health and suicide crisis being faced not just in his district but across the nation. This public epidemic is exacerbated by many issues such as taboo, family unpreparedness, shortages of counselors, the price of therapy, misinformation, and what he sees as general unreadiness in the community. These challenges have resulted in a situation where people who are in need of help are taking recourse by simply suffering their way through their sickness in silence. Judge Mack has been working tirelessly to combat this issue by creating what he calls a community ‘task force’. Mack’s task force is working hard to create a culture of care, and to bring the topic of mental health into the public eye while also bringing his community together. This reminds us that amongst the suffering, there are stories of hope and healing and that people like Judge Mack are taking a stand to make the world a better place.
Key Points From This Episode:
Tweetables:
“There are people who need to know where to go for help and we need to foster that in a community. We have got to have a culture of it being okay to say, ‘I’m not okay’” —@JudgeWayneMack[0:04:00]
“We are not teaching our kids coping skills, how to fail forward.” — @JudgeWayneMack[0:06:02]
“So what do you do? Pay your light bill or go see a psychiatrist?” — @JudgeWayneMack[0:09:43]
“If there is someone out there that is hurting, that doesn’t know what to do or where to go, just know that this community is here.” — @JudgeWayneMack[0:09:43]
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
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