Addressing the stigma around mental health, gun ownership

By Scott Gara

An armed Genevieve Jones holding a sign that says “making purpose from trauma helps make peace from trauma.” (Photo: Jones via @beyond.the.unknown)
Mental illness is an often referenced but rarely discussed topic within the greater debate about gun ownership. More often than not, it’s met with silence or negative commentary. But social media personality and shooting instructor Genevieve Jones addresses the subject directly, revealing that she suffers from both anxiety and post-traumatic stress.
In her Instagram post, she argued that gun owners with such conditions shouldn’t be treated as “armed and dangerous” nor should they be shunned for talking about their conditions. “Mental health never really gets talked about in this industry or even in this country except when a mass shooting happens. I think that is a little sad,” she said.
“I have been told dozens of times, even by fellow 2A supporters, that I shouldn’t talk about my problems because it will get me ‘locked up.’ ‘People will think you’re going to kill yourself.’ ‘Nobody wants a firearms instructor with PTSD,’” she added. “The last one is what really pushed me to begin this conversation. No one who is trying to move past their pain should be bullied into silence.”
She said

Source: Guns.com