What is a Mental Health Day?
Athletes like Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka are bringing Mental Health to the forefront in 2021. I applaud their advocacy, candor, and vulnerability as they call out the need to treat athlete’s brains with the same respect as their bodies.
As a psychiatrist, I know firsthand how important mental health is. I have treated hundreds of patients who have struggled with a variety of mental health issues. Sometimes those issues are mild, sometimes they are debilitating, and sometimes they result in death.
BUT – when I heard media recommendations to take a mental health day, I noticed that I reacted strangely. Part of me was cheering and part of me was frowning. Why did I feel so ambivalent?
