What happens when distress is treated as a problem for the community to expel.
A community shows its values by what it does with distress.
When mental distress is treated only as danger or disorder, the community's answer becomes containment or expulsion.
But distress can also be a signal that relationships, environments or systems are failing. Expelling the distressed person avoids the harder question.
Awareverse asks the harder question: what would support, safety and belonging look like here?
When looking at madness and community, ask: who had power, who was being labelled, and what would have changed if the human being had been seen first?