Is mental health the cause of the age?

In the past week, Mike King has returned his Queens' Honours gong because the system is broken. Naomi Osaka has unilaterally decided to not speak to the media because they cause her stress. Prince Harry has unloaded a pile more angst via Oprah on the telly. Britain's youngest MP is taking time out because she has got PTSD.

Part of the trouble with all of this is two-fold. Each of them has seemingly genuine issues but part of the whole mental health bandwagon is no one is allowed to question any of it. In not questioning for fear of being cancelled, are we doing our own mental health damage from the frustration of the restraint demanded of the victims?

Is all this crusading and headline grabbing actually leading anywhere?

So, Mike King gives his gong back. Fair point, the system is broken. But now what? Does making the noise solve the problem?

He was on Early Edition on Friday, and quite rightly blamed the Ministry of Health for the $1.9 billion provided from two budgets ago, but not yet spent on anything anyone can find. But he refused to blame the government, who despite allocating it because they made mental health a calling card, have clearly not done a thing apart form make the announcement in the first place.

Buck stops at the top, so why doesn’t he call the government out?

Osaka also makes a fair point. Many journalists are to be avoided. Their questions are self-serving, aggressive, invasive, and often delivered with a view to find a snap and cheap headline.

But she is also part of the collective. Tennis is an organised tour of which you have signed up, and you signed up as a player not an activist or a victim. The only thing that allows her to indulge in her particular form of therapy is wealth. The lesser lights don’t get the same privilege. If her point is right, why not change the media exchange instead of running?

As for Prince Harry, he too I am sure, is troubled. But is his form of therapy via a well-paid TV deal kosher? Making money out of your misery doesn’t strike me as good business or remotely healthy.

And in addressing his problem what damage does he do,  is he doing, to his dad, his nana, his brother, and all those who watch on dragged in by his self-indulgence?

Britain's youngest MP is 24. I am sure she has issues beyond just being a young MP, but should she not have thought about that before she threw herself at a job and exposure that surely was only going to lead to a series of pressures 24-year-olds aren't remotely equipped to deal with?

Mental health under its new broad, bandwagony, let's all tell our truth fashion is in danger of getting a free pass. It's in danger of being so high up on a pedestal, it can't be touched. And that’s dangerous.

Part of good mental health is being able to deal with tough times, push back, debate and being in the real world. Escapism, self-indulgence, and headline grabbing is not a disease that sympathy should be handed out for.

Genuine mental health and noise making aren't the same thing. But given you don’t dare say anything, the two have morphed into one large hand wringing mess.

That serves no one well.