Let's Talk About...Mental Health

I've been wanting to write about this topic for some time.

The first time was last summer. I was on my way home from a meet-up I helped organize of technology start-up CEOs in the Minneapolis area. I recall being struck by the theme of that discussion. It was not about the venture funding environment, how hard it was to get talent or a trading of business strategies. Multiple CEOs talked about how they used a therapist to talk through their issues because they felt alone in their role. They were unable to turn to the teams they were leading, their investors or their friends. Even their spouses - despite the desire to support their partner - were unable to help these leaders handle the stresses they were facing. I was surprised by the widespread use of a therapist and admired their transparency. Articulating their use of a therapist was a simple reality - no judgement associated with it. It was no different than someone mentioning that they had a personal trainer or had someone help clean their home.

Then, after binge watching the final season of Mr. Robot over the holidays, I watched clips of interviews with the cast members. I was struck by the actors' comments in terms of how people were coming up to them on the street and thanking them for bringing the topic of mental health to the public eye through the show. It made them feel less alone.

And, finally, only a few short weeks into 2020, the topic of mental health has seemed omni-present in my world: at work, at the movies (Joker), at industry conferences and in LinkedIn posts from people in my network. It was either the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon at work or a sign that this topic was emerging from the recesses of public discussion.

There have been a few trailblazers in the early-stage technology industry, of which I am a part, who have openly discussed the topic of mental health matters in an effort to de-stigmatize them. Brad Feld of the Foundry Group, one of the investors in my company Drip, has bravely shared his battles with depression on his blog for many years now. Actions by people like Brad have helped give me the courage to now share this publicly.

For many years, we have been managing mental health issues within our family. My oldest daughter suffers from an auto-immune disease (PANDAS/PANS) that causes inflammation on her brain when she is exposed to certain infections, such as strep. There is nothing more painful to watch then when a perfectly normal child suddenly experiences a dramatic change to her personality, cognition and anxiety levels. Not surprisingly, the mental health of our entire family suffers under this strain, particularly since these flare ups can last months in duration.

Often we act like because we're adults we don't need role models. But, for sure, that's bullshit. The fear of professional judgement on matters like mental health can be even more pernicious than our childhood fear of being teased on a playground.

The point of this post is a simple Public Service Announcement:

Mental health matters. We go to doctors for our physical health. We should take equal - if not greater - care with our mental health.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, please do the right thing and get - or encourage them to get - professional help. No one needs to feel alone when dealing with these issues because we all face them in one form or another.

In an effort to bring awareness and discussion around this topic, please feel free to share this post with your network. If only one person benefits from this message, then we will all have contributed to a greater good. Thank you for reading.