October 12, 2006

Dear Colleagues in the Mental Health Field:

Like many people in the Deaf community, the Gallaudet University protest weighs heavily in our hearts today, as we are sure it does in yours, whether or not you have taken a public stand. As Deaf-centered psychotherapists and alumnae of Gallaudet University, we cannot sit back on the couch in silence, hiding behind a mask of professionalism, while grave social justice issues are at stake. We address this letter to our fellow colleagues in the mental health field – psychotherapists, social workers, psychologists, rehabilitation counselors, program administrators and coordinators, educators, interpreters, lawyers, medical personnel, and other specialists in the field, Deaf and hearing alike.

Neutrality or Authenticity: Those of us who work in the mental health field have often been taught that neutrality is one of our necessary professional behaviors. Outside of the therapy office, we ask, in what way does neutrality serve us, our clients, and our Deaf community? How do we act as role models of authenticity and social responsibility by remaining silent, by pretending to have no opinion, or by looking the other way during discussions about the issues of oppression underlying the Gallaudet protest?

Oppression = No Mental Health: Audism and racism (and many other isms) have a negative impact on our clients’ and our own well-being. Years of oppression have taken their toll on the mental health of our Deaf community, both at individual and collective levels. Mental health cannot exist where there is oppression, for oppression leads to hopelessness; where there is powerlessness, for powerlessness leads to despair; where there is inequality, for inequality leads to anger and resentment; where there is audism and racism, for audism and racism lead to self-hatred and low self-esteem. As professionals, how can we be neutral about oppression, when it is the enemy of mental health?

Social Justice is the Issue: There can be no such thing as neutrality when it comes to oppression, inequality, and prejudice. When there is outrage about the appalling statistic that only 3% of Gallaudet faculty members are Deaf African Americans or Deaf Black Africans, when there is anger about the University’s continuing hiring of hearing faculty, despite the already existing excessively high ratio of hearing to Deaf faculty members, when there is bitterness about departments refusing to provide interpreters for professors when students cannot understand their signing…social justice is absent. No matter if we agree with the specifics of the Gallaudet protest or not, the greater issue of the day is social justice, and it should be one on which we all can agree.

Our Concerns: We are concerned for the well-being of the protesters, who have spent long days and nights fighting to be heard by the Gallaudet Board
of Trustees and administration. We are concerned for the parents, who
worry, with good reason, about their children’s safety on a campus with a less than stellar record for protecting its students from harm. We are concerned for the staff and faculty, who are taking great risks by joining in the protest. We are concerned for the alumni, near and far, who dream that future generations of Deaf children will be able to attend an oppression-free Gallaudet. We care about our Deaf community and we are concerned.

The Harm in Hiding behind Professionalism: Being mental health professionals does not preclude us from having our own opinions, nor does it preclude us from taking a public stand. What is more harmful to our clients and our Deaf community: hiding behind the mask of professionalism by remaining neutral, or choosing to be authentic and speak up against injustices?

Fear or Freedom: Some of you, at Gallaudet University and elsewhere, may be afraid that speaking up could result in the loss of your job or future job opportunities. If you are Deaf, we ask, what price are you willing to pay to work in a place free from oppression? If you are hearing, we ask, is not the likelihood that you can find other employment in a hearing environment sufficient to inspire you to rally for social justice?

Willing Participants or Not: Do we, as mental health professionals, want to be willing participants in the social injustices of audism and racism? If not, we must take a stand. Supporting the request for the resignation of Jane K. Fernandes is one way to begin; true progress toward social justice, however, can only continue if all of us, individuals, University departments, professional organizations, and mental health centers, commit to righting what is so obviously wrong, now and in the future.

We ask you, our colleagues in the mental health profession, to get off the couch and take a stand.

Respectfully,

Candace A. McCullough, PhD
Sharon M. Duchesneau, MA, LCPC

Depression and Deaf People: We recently had several requests to do a post specifically on depression and Deaf people. Depression is something that many of us may experience at one point or another during our lives. It’s important to know that being Deaf itself is not a cause of depression. Being Deaf people in a hearing-centered society, however, can put Deaf people slightly more at risk for depression than hearing people. This is true for almost any minority group. The more oppressed, powerless, or unequal people feel, the greater the chance they will experience depression or any other mental health issue (See ASC’s post on mental health and social injustices).

How Do You Know if It’s Depression?: Depression is more than just a bad mood, sadness, or an upset reaction to bad grade or a break-up. Clinical depression is different in the sense that the depressed mood lasts longer than two weeks and the symptoms are much more intense, interfering with school, work, relationships, and responsibilities. Symptoms of depression can include some or all of the following: constant feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or worthlessness; significant weight loss or gain; sleeping more or less than usual; difficulty concentrating; loss of interest in life’s pleasures; agitation or restlessness; thinking about suicide or making plans for suicide. Sometimes people may attempt to mask these symptoms of depression by over-using alcohol or other drugs, in an effort to “self-medicate”. For an in-depth signed presentation on depression, see this link.

Causes: There are many possible causes of depression. Some of these are: major life events such as moving, divorce, empty-nest, or the death of someone important to you; chemical imbalances; post-partum depression; peri- or post-menopausal depression; traumatic experiences; and certain medical conditions. Deaf people may experience job-related depression, especially when isolation, communication difficulties, discrimination, or lack of opportunity for employment or promotion exist. Other potential triggers for depression in Deaf people can include disappointment in a child’s hearing or Deaf status, difficulties with communication in Deaf-hearing families, issues related to cochlear implants, and identity issues. In addition, Deaf people with Usher Syndrome may experience depression when dealing with deteriorating vision.

What Can You Do About Depression?: The good news about depression is that it does go away when you make an effort to do something about it and there are many things you can do about depression. If the trigger is not obvious, the first thing to do is get a physical check-up, to rule out any possible medical causes. Next, making sure you eat, sleep, and exercise properly is very important. Sharing your feelings with people close to you can be worthwhile. Psychotherapy can help you sort out feelings and identify your options for making changes. As a last resort, anti-depressant medication can be helpful in getting through the worst of the depression. Take control of your depression, instead of letting it control you.