The Pickle Challenge for Mental Health – Have Fun and Support an Urgent Cause

Eat a Pickle, Don’t Be a Pickle

“We are sleepwalking into a mental health crisis.” That’s how one business journal described the fact that our world is so unprepared to care for the psychic and emotional trauma that has been, and continues to be, caused by the pandemic.

In a recently submitted journal article, my coauthors and I wrote about “Covid’s emotional long haulers” – the people who will be at risk for PTSD long after the virus has become endemic. We summarized results from multiple studies and surveys showing that the problem is severe and getting worse, and that the worst is still yet to come.

As is always the case with emotional trauma, the most severe effects are felt long after the traumatic events have occurred. And with a fragmented mental health system and a severe shortage of behavioral health providers, we will not be ready for it when it happens.

That is why we are pivoting The Pickle Challenge for Charity, which has raised over $100,000 for causes selected by participating organizations, to raise awareness of the mental health crisis and to raise money for organizations that are doing something about it.

We are challenging individuals to eat a pickle, don’t be a pickle by taking The Pickle Pledge.

We are challenging organizations to turn complaints into contributions by taking The Pickle Challenge.

We want to do for this impending mental health crisis what the Ice Bucket Challenge did for ALS.

I recently spent a day with the leadership team of Carriage Healthcare, and they became the latest to take us up on this challenge. Check out the 45-second video below. This crew is having fun, they are eating delicious Van Holten pickles, and are committing to being positive role models for the people who look up to them for leadership.
Won’t you join us?

Leadership Events 2022

To help promote this cause, I will be including The Pickle Challenge for Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing in every leadership event during 2022. For more information about what we can do for you, email or call me.