(Published in the Robinson Daily News, May 30, 2013)
Mental Health is as Important as Physical Health
May was National Mental Health Awareness Month, but what does that mean? We seem to be aware that there are mental or psychological issues out there and that there is a stigma that goes with those issues. So what do we need to be aware of then?
Perhaps we need to be aware of how we really think of mental issues…do we honestly think of “health” or “illness” when we think of “mental issues?”
Perhaps we need to be aware of what mental health is – what it looks like. That’s hard to do when the media seems to constantly point out mental illness and associate it with horrible acts.
Perhaps we need to be aware of who is affected by mental or psychological issues…is it someone else? Do we secretly wonder about ourselves when we hurt, are blue, feel angry all the time, get overly anxious from everyday things like driving, feel totally stressed out, have deep secrets, feel too happy or too sad, feel out of place, or other things that keep us from feeling mentally healthy? Are we afraid of being labeled “crazy” if anyone finds out? Do we then self-medicate with substances, become co-dependent, become expectant of others, or other behaviors that we don’t like about ourselves?
Perhaps the thought of suicide has even crossed our minds. Are we aware of our own mental health status?
Here in rural America, the motto seems to be an unwritten code of silence – “don’t air our dirty laundry outside this family!” But humans are by nature, social beings. What that means is we need others, and in the realm of mental health, that means we need to talk about what bothers us in order to regain and to maintain mental health.
So who should we talk to? While not everyone needs a therapist, counselor, or coach, a mental health professional may be a great place to
start!
Mental Health Awareness Month is about knowing mental health is as important as your physical health; knowing that seeking help from a mental health professional is one of the best things you can do for you and those who care about you; and that seeking mental health does NOT mean you are crazy – perhaps just the opposite. This month, become self-aware about mental health and take care of you!
[Written by Theresa Boyd, M.S., CPC, CRC]; a member of the Crawford County Mental Health Association
(www.CCMHA.org)]
Mental Health is as Important as Physical Health
May was National Mental Health Awareness Month, but what does that mean? We seem to be aware that there are mental or psychological issues out there and that there is a stigma that goes with those issues. So what do we need to be aware of then?
Perhaps we need to be aware of how we really think of mental issues…do we honestly think of “health” or “illness” when we think of “mental issues?”
Perhaps we need to be aware of what mental health is – what it looks like. That’s hard to do when the media seems to constantly point out mental illness and associate it with horrible acts.
Perhaps we need to be aware of who is affected by mental or psychological issues…is it someone else? Do we secretly wonder about ourselves when we hurt, are blue, feel angry all the time, get overly anxious from everyday things like driving, feel totally stressed out, have deep secrets, feel too happy or too sad, feel out of place, or other things that keep us from feeling mentally healthy? Are we afraid of being labeled “crazy” if anyone finds out? Do we then self-medicate with substances, become co-dependent, become expectant of others, or other behaviors that we don’t like about ourselves?
Perhaps the thought of suicide has even crossed our minds. Are we aware of our own mental health status?
Here in rural America, the motto seems to be an unwritten code of silence – “don’t air our dirty laundry outside this family!” But humans are by nature, social beings. What that means is we need others, and in the realm of mental health, that means we need to talk about what bothers us in order to regain and to maintain mental health.
So who should we talk to? While not everyone needs a therapist, counselor, or coach, a mental health professional may be a great place to
start!
Mental Health Awareness Month is about knowing mental health is as important as your physical health; knowing that seeking help from a mental health professional is one of the best things you can do for you and those who care about you; and that seeking mental health does NOT mean you are crazy – perhaps just the opposite. This month, become self-aware about mental health and take care of you!
[Written by Theresa Boyd, M.S., CPC, CRC]; a member of the Crawford County Mental Health Association
(www.CCMHA.org)]
Website Updated on 46/12/2016 at 13:35