Mental health is often in the news these days. It’s an epidemic putting enormous pressure on our health care system. It’s a burden weighing down our kids as they navigate a more complex and cruel world. We hear about ending the stigma of mental illness through open dialogue.
Mental illness in my immediate and extended family was a big part of my childhood and teen years. When I moved out at 18, I wanted to escape depression, anxiety and alcoholism. But guess what I found living in my own head? My old pals.
Depression: times I couldn’t get out of bed. Anxiety: times I couldn’t calm my mind. Alcoholism: years of problem drinking followed by five years spent drinking every day, ostensibly to treat the previous afflictions. By the end of that, I found I couldn’t quit drinking without help.
Don’t worry about me, friends. I’ve been doing a lot better for a long time. So are most of my family members. Most, but not all. There have been casualties. I share this not for sympathy or attention, but simply to connect with the majority of you who have stories like this of your own. This issue touches everyone regardless of gender, race, religion or politics.
The goal of my editorial page series is not only to ease the stigma of talking about mental health, but to break some of the cliches surrounding the topic. We face some serious choices if we’re going to heal mental illness. It’s worth healing. Above all, there is hope, if we try.
Read “To heal generational pain, we must recognize and ease Minnesota’s mental health crisis,” published Sunday, April 27, 2025 in the Minnesota Star Tribune. Beginning with a personal story, I hope my series will do some greater good over the next couple months.
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist and member of the editorial board for the Minnesota Star Tribune. His new book about Hibbing Mayor Victor Power and his momentous fight against the world’s largest corporation will be out soon.
2 responses to “A strategy of pragmatic hope to improve mental health”
Aaron, thank you for writing this article. It really hit home for me. Mental health is so important, and it’s time we stopped shaming people about it. It’s genetic, and it affects so many families, yet it’s still so taboo. As I’ve started sharing my own story, I’ve been amazed by how open others are about theirs and their families’ struggles with mental health and addiction. We all need to feel less alone, and there are so many resources available. Even though I’ve been an advocate for my own mental health for most of my adult life, I still ended up feeling isolated and hopeless until I hit a crisis. We can’t do enough to keep advocating for those who don’t feel like they have a voice and to let people know that there are services and support groups available to them. Each of us has the opportunity to end generations of abuse, addiction and pain and I urge anyone in Itasca County who feels that there is no hope to call [988](tel:988). [A Lost Art](https://www.alostartmn.com/)
Thank you,
Jessica
Thank you, Aaron for this article! It really hit home for me. My husband Jim was a Vietnam combat veteran who was in the infantry. I met him 5 days after he got home from Vietnam. My husband Jim had PTSD from his experiences in Vietnam. He was hospitalized in a mental health unit in 1984 because he was suicidal. This was before PTSD was widely discussed by the VA. It was a non VA hospital that he was admitted to. Sadly, there was not a lot of therapy done with him about Vietnam and Jim was like so many Vietnam veterans and never wanted to talk about it. Jim was given medication for his depression which did help him but Vietnam was still with him every day. My husband Jim passed away in October of 2022 from cancer from his exposure to Agent Orange. His last words before he passed were “Mistakes were made and a lot of men died”. It broke my heart to know that Vietnam was the last thing on his mind before he passed. My only comfort is that he is finally at peace. Thank you for sharing these articles about mental health! It’s greatly appreciated and needed.