Focus on Mental Health – Life 88.5
Thanks to our friends at Life 88.5 in Kansas City for making mental health a discussion topic for the start of 2019. Our Mental Health Monday segments are just a glimpse into this important topic!
We’re delighted that you’ve taken the next step to further investigate mental health and perhaps look for support and resources for yourself of someone living with mental illness.
What is Mental Health?
Mental Health describes someone’s emotional, psychological, and social wellness. Our
Mental Health is constantly being influenced by external events and internal emotions and at any one moment of time can fall on a continuum between mental illness & mental wellness.
Mental Illness and Mental Wellness
Mental illness is defined as a brain disorder, affecting one’s ability to function successfully with thinking, feeling, mood ability to relate to others and daily functioning. Mental wellness allows people to realize their full potential, cope with stresses, work productively and make meaningfully contributions to society. (Mentalhealth.gov) Mental wellness is important for us all!
Facts about Depression
Depression is a serious medical condition that is associated with symptoms such as loss of pleasure, loss of energy, difficulty in concentrating, and suicidal thoughts. The umbrella term “depression” is commonly associated with the diagnosis: Major Depressive Disorder and its related mood disorders including bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, seasonal affective disorder, and can occur with other diagnosis like, post-traumatic stress syndrome and anxiety disorder. It is the most common cause of disability and suicide.
- Affects over 18 million adults (one in ten) in any given year.1
- Is the leading cause of disability for ages 15-44.2
- Is the primary reason why someone dies of suicide about every 13 minutes. – over 41,000 people a year.3
- In comparison: homicide claims less than 16,000 lives each year, according to 2013 CDC statistics.
It’s sometimes difficult for a loved one to understand someone who’s suffering with a depression. The struggle is real. Depression is not a character flaw, the morbid result of poor choices or something someone can just “get over.” Support and understanding are important factors in someone moving forward with treatment. The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) has provided excellent resources to learn more about depression and the common treatments.
If you or someone you know are considering suicide, there is hope and help. We recommend the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255 for support 24 hours a day. We also recommend the MY3 App as a support for safety planning when you’re not facing an immediate crisis. You are valuable and we don’t want this world to lose you too soon because we failed to connect with you in your most desperate time of need! These tools can help to dampen the fear and dispel the myths around facing the difficult reality that someone we care about is suffering.
Depression References
1Kessler RC et al. Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of Twelve-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R). Archives of General Psychiatry, 2005 Jun; 62:617-627.
2Ibid
3Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Web -based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [Online].(2013,2011)National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC (producer).
Available from http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/index.html.
Facing the Disorder of Anxiety
Anxiety is the most common mental health disorder in the U.S., affecting close to 40 million adults, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). That’s about 18% of the population! Sadly, only about one-third of those who struggle with anxiety receive treatment. We think the most likely reason for this is the stigma surrounding mental health. When we, as a society, think of brain disorders as character flaws we isolate those who struggle. Yes, we understand how incredibly complicated it can be. But it’s up to us to face our own fears and come to terms with the way this is affecting us all!
There are many types of anxiety, but they break down into these categories: generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, specific phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder? Anxiety doesn’t just affect adults, it’s common among children. Research shows that untreated children with anxiety disorders are at higher risk to perform poorly in school, miss out on important social experiences, and engage in substance abuse. See statistics for anxiety disorders among children from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Genetics and gender play a role in developing an anxiety and it’s the most treatable disorder with a range of both natural remedies (we’re learning more everyday) and prescribed medications along with traditional treatments. When it comes to those natural remedies (aka. alternative or complimentary) we’d recommend you do some research. The National Institute on Health provides Know the Science tools to help you evaluate less traditional treatments. Knowing the traditional approach is a good place to start and NAMI’s resources about anxiety are excellent!
When it comes to self care, we advocate for a healthy daily dose of mindful meditation. In a recent study about mindfulness meditation reported that a 20 minute meditation class reduced anxiety 39%. It’s a worthwhile investment into ourselves!
Stress & Trauma
When we think of mental health we it’s important to consider that how we cope with life stressors contributes to where we might fall on the wellness continuum. We all have a range of coping skills that serve to maintain or move us on the continuum. These skills were developed during our childhood then honed as we moved into adulthood, often without us being conscious of them. If our family of origin had healthy ways of coping, we will imitate what we see them doing and typically find our own stabilized mental health. If life remains fairly certain, without signifiant challenges, and our biology doesn’t have a predisposition towards brain disorders, then we might make it through our whole life with a fairly strong mental wellness.
Research is telling us that there is a strong correlation to childhood experiences and our overall health, including mental wellness throughout the course of life. The correlation is so strong that the CDC has taken an active role in community education to help us better understand the role of trauma, experienced through neglect and violence. At it’s core is the ACE Study, linking adverse childhood experiences, explained here in a TED Talk by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris. This is a very good opening discussion about the impact of trauma, but it’s only a start. As we become more willing to explore the impact of trauma on ourselves and the community, we will be a healthier community. Instead of asking, “What’s wrong with you?” we will begin to ask, “What’s happened to you?”
There’s no shame in asking for help if life stressors are pulling you away from mental wellness. Sometimes, even with the best of friends and family, we need professional support. If its time for you to look for a counselor, we suggest you start with your own health insurance and see what providers might be in-network. Then take some time to explore relationships because finding a counselor you can connect with is an essential part of the process.
Other resources that might be helpful include:
- www.jocogov.org/dept/mental-health/home
- www.psychologytoday.com
- www.goodtherapy.org/find-therapist.html
- http://www.namijoco.org/
Wherever you are on the mental health continuum, we’re also here to support you!
