Editorial Policy
Mental. Because Life Is Bananas
This is the page where most brands flex about what they stand for—their hopes, dreams, and values—and, Dear Reader, won’t you join us our humanity-saving journey by purchasing our…weight loss program? Plant-based breakfast drink? ED drug?
Nope. At Mental, we stand for you. We (the royal we) have been talking about mental health all wrong for millennia, and our goal is to (finally) fix that.
We know because we’ve lived it, just like you. The insulting buck-up-camper advice from people closest to you. The just-power-through-it mandate you’ve heard a million times and that backfires always. Then there are the hushed tones and knowing nods:
“The problem is that she’s, you know, mental.”
To which we say: Hell yeah, she is. So is he. And they. We’re all mental. It’s as human as being highly intelligent and completely fallible, terrified, pissed, and everything in between—all at the same time.
So we’re taking back the word “mental” and putting it front and center. Our content embeds mental health into everyday life…the way it happens naturally. As you click through the site, here’s what you can expect:
1. Legit and realistic advice on how to deal with mental health issues at work, at home, everywhere
Did we mention how we’ve been living this mental health thing for decades, just like you? Our content is powered by several things:
- Science: Real science—proven with real patients in a clinical setting. We’re hard to impress on that front, as we should be. None of that froo-froo crystal nonsense here.
- Experts: We’re lucky enough to have world-renowned mental health experts on speed dial, thanks to the relationships the Mental team has built over decades as journalists. Their testimony powers a lot of the advice you’ll see on this site. They translate the science, reveal what works for their patients, and equally important, tell you what you can completely ignore—starting with the unrealistic expectations of family, friends, and the zeitgeist are putting on your shoulders.
- You: Science and experts don’t know you personally. And what works for you is equally as valid as all their stuff. After all, if it works for you, it might work for someone else. We want to share that with the Mental community. Besides, real talk from readers like you shows you’re not alone—and that you can thrive.
2. Complete and total transparency
Running this site costs money and we plan to help fund it in several ways. One is affiliate commerce—when you click to buy a product on Amazon or other online retailers, we may get a small commission.
BUT! We don’t make decisions based on if we can make money. Every sentence on this site exists because we believe it can help you live a more fulfilling life. When we recommend a product, it’s because we legit think it’ll help you.
3. Wits, guts, humor, and just enough edginess to ensure we all grow
We’re gonna crush pollyanna in its tracks. We hate that sh!t. You know what we mean: the clichés that have no basis in reality, the advice that isn’t practical enough to infuse into your life for more than a few days, the rote advice that reads like it was found on the backside of a pill bottle.
Dealing with mental health issues can be HARD. It’s often a lifelong endeavor. Let’s all acknowledge it and then talk about how to live well with it.
4. What to do and whom to contact for your serious needs.
Our promise to you: When you’re at your bottom, we’ve got you. That’s the Club in ClubMental.com. We’re all members—and we’re all here for you. But it’s important to emphasize that we’re not medical professionals. If you need urgent help, it’s a simple phone call or text away:
- You can reach the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can dial it from any phone, 24/7, like you can 911.
- You can reach the Crisis Textline via SMS or What’sApp by texting HOME to 741741.
We know that reaching out for help can be scary, whether you’re telling a parent, confiding in a friend, or contacting a medical professional. And though it may seem like a big step—a massive leap even—we promise it’ll be worth it. The mission of ClubMental.com is to bust this stigma, ease this fear, and make asking for mental health help a little easier for everyone.
Updated October 2, 2022
