Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness month!

Started in 1949, Mental Health Awareness month works to raise awareness and educate the public about the realities of living with these conditions and provide strategies for attaining mental health and wellness. As statistics show, 1 in 5 adults in America experience mental illness, 1 in 25 adults live with a chronic mental illness and half of all mental illness begins by the age of 14 (thenationalcouncil.org, 2020). While our world is working to become more accepting, understanding and educated on the effects of mental health, there is still a heavy stigma connected to mental and behavioral health.

As referenced in many previous posts, the current climate of the pandemic is leading to feelings of added stress, anxiety and depression-all of which are normal. However, whether you are someone who was previously receiving care or someone who became newly symptomatic, you might need some more help- and that’s ok! Sometimes, the symptoms may be helped with learning and practicing some coping skills. Other times however, that might not be enough.

With the world in quarantine, how do you safely get the help you may need? Options include tele-health or virtual sessions for therapy and psychiatry.

Here are some links to guiding you to get the help you need, including:

How to find the right therapist, Finding therapists in your area for tele-health session, NAMI resources for Covid-19, Medication payment assistance, mental health apps, and employee assistance programs.

-Emily Martin, MS