MENTAL ILLNESS IS HAVING A TREMENDOUS IMPACT on the wellbeing of our nation and community—and it’s the rare individual whose life is left completely untouched by mental- health issues. These statistics from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) tell the story:
• One in five US adults experience mental illness each year.
• One in 20 US adults experience serious mental illness each year.
• One in six US youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
• 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
• Suicide is the second leading cause off death among people aged 10-14. Despite these concerning data points, Mental Health America (MHA) emphasizes that mentalhealth conditions, while common, are manageable and treatable. Furthermore, it’s important to understand that it’s never too soon to seek treatment for mental-health issues. In fact, getting help early might just save your life!
With May being designated Mental Health Awareness Month, there’s no time like the present to get help if you or someone you love is struggling with mental illness and/or considering suicide. Launched in 1949 by MHA (then known as the National Association for Mental Health), this annual observance was established to bring millions of Americans together in promoting mental health awareness, offering vital resources and education, and advocating for the mental health and well-being of everyone.
This year’s Mental Health Awareness Month, themed “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World,” highlights how events going on in the world around us can affect our mental health, and recognizes that while society seems to be getting more comfortable talking about mental illness, it can still be challenging for individuals to know “Where to Start” when it comes to taking care of their own mental health and well-being. In fact, a key message of this year’s campaign is, “The world is constantly changing—for better or for worse—and it can be overwhelming to deal with everything going on around you.”
If you or someone you love is grappling with mental illness and/or considering suicide, don’t suffer in silence—and don’t succumb to the misconception that enlisting professional assistance in your struggle means you’re somehow weak. On the contrary, another key takeaway for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month is, “Seeking professional help for your mental health when self-help efforts aren’t working is a sign of strength, not weakness. You don’t have to go through these struggles alone.”
Help is close at hand. Many organizations and agencies in our community are poised to provide the professional care and treatment you need to recover. So, don’t wait another day to make the call that could change your life for the better. ✲
Pay attention to kids’ mental health as you would their physical health
by Dennis Bova
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but in a sense, it should be thought of as physical health awareness month, too.
As Harvard Medical School has said, “If a child has a fever or a persistent cough, parents react—they pay attention and reach out for help. But if a child seems sad or irritable, or less interested in activities they used to enjoy, they tend to think of it as a phase, or something else that can be ignored.”
That should not be the case. “The mental health of our children is crucial,” Harvard said.
Erin Wiley also promotes that line of thought—that parents should treat their children’s mental health as they would physical health. Wiley, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and owner/therapist of The Willow Center, said, “Parents have to be realistic and understand that they may have to take their kids out of school to see a therapist like they would for a dental or pediatric appointment.”
The mindset toward addressing mental illness has changed for the better, she said. “The difference between our generation and now is that we’re allowing kids to say they are sad or struggling,” she said. “For all of history, kids have been sad, scared, overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, and never had the ability to talk about it. They were told to ‘suck it up.’”
Wiley continued, “Now we give them the vocabulary that they need so they can competently talk about how they feel. They’re encouraged to talk about their feelings. That’s important and healthy.”
While there’s a more open atmosphere for youths to talk about their mental-health problems, parents and adults in general need to be aware of telltale signs.
For instance, she said, if a youth “talks about hurting themselves or expressing thoughts that they don’t want to be around anymore or don’t plan to be around or that no one will miss them,” that’s to be taken seriously. “We used to think that if a youth talked about that it meant they were just seeking attention and wouldn’t hurt themselves, but that’s not true.”
Other signs: “If they’re lethargic or shut down, doing worse in school, don’t want to play or be around friends, isolating. If they’re eating or sleeping significantly more or less than usual, that can mean something,” she said. “If they’re super irritable or having trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating. If they’re feeling worthless or hopeless, those are signs that a kid’s really struggling.”
Once they notice the signs, there are several things parents can do to help. Wiley suggested:
• “Get kids involved in family events and after-school activities if they can.”
• “Do things to connect, like family game nights or family walks. Get outside and into nature.”
• “Have kids do basic chores. It makes them feel like they’re contributing, that they’re pitching in to help as part of a team, and they’ll feel better about themselves.”
• “Limit their screen time—video games, phones, TV, social media, streaming services.”
• “Not disciplining them backfires—kids think their parents don’t care. But we need to be mindful of the way we talk to our kids. We need them to know we’re on their side. Instead of an adversarial relationship, seek to build connections. Tell them things you like about them, the ways you are impressed by the things they do. And take an interest in the things they love.”
Wiley concludes, “The big message is: Pay attention to your kids.”
That’s echoed by Harvard. “Pay attention, and take what you see seriously,” the med school said. “If your child is showing signs of anxiety or depression, call your doctor. Don’t put it off.”
Or as Wiley suggested, “If parents have concerns, reach out for professional help or let school counselors know. They can be a good resource.”
Dennis Bova is a freelance writer and editor. ✲
Beyond “baby blues”: the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression
The birth of a baby can evoke a wide range of emotions in new moms, not all of which are positive. In fact, it’s common for postpartum mothers to experience “baby blues,” which, according to mayoclinic.org, usually begins within two to three days of delivery and lasts for around two weeks. Moms with baby blues exhibit symptoms such as mood swings, crying spells, anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, lack of appetite, and insomnia, among others.
Though these feelings might seem at odds with what is supposed to be a joyful occasion, it’s important for new moms, as well as their spouses or partners, to be aware that they are perfectly normal and will likely soon pass.
However, some new mothers—approximately one in seven according to the National Institutes of Health—experience a much more severe form of mood disorder known as postpartum depression (PPD) after giving birth. Whereas the negative emotions associated with baby blues tend to be relatively mild and typically resolve within a few weeks, PPD symptoms can last for many weeks or months if left untreated, are more intense than baby blues symptoms, and can ultimately interfere with the mother’s ability to care for her baby as well as manage her day-to-day activities.
Mayoclinic.org notes that PPD usually develops within a few weeks of giving birth but can occur up to a year after delivery. In some cases, PPD emerges while the mother is still pregnant and then continues after childbirth.
PPD does not discriminate based on factors such as a race, socioeconomic status, or the number of prior pregnancies. However, certain factors are known to put moms at greater risk of developing the disorder. The website my.clevelandclinic.org lists the following: having a personal or family history of depression, postpartum depression, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD); having limited social support; experiencing marital or relationship conflict; being ambivalent about the pregnancy; having pregnancy complications like health conditions, difficult delivery, or premature birth; being younger than 20 or a single parent; or having a baby with special needs or a baby who cries a lot.
PPD and baby blues share some symptoms in common, but again, PPD symptoms tend to be more severe and persistent—lasting longer than two weeks, sometimes much longer. The American Psychological Association (apa.org) lists the following signs and symptoms to watch for in new moms:
• A loss of pleasure or interest in things you used to enjoy, including sex
• Eating much more, or much less, than you usually do
• Anxiety—all or most of the time—or panic attacks
• Racing, scary thoughts
• Feeling guilty or worthless; blaming yourself
• Excessive irritability, anger, or agitation; mood swings
• Sadness, crying uncontrollably for very long periods of time
• Fear of not being a good mother
• Fear of being left alone with the baby
• Misery
• Inability to sleep, sleeping too much, difficulty falling or staying asleep
• Disinterest in the baby, family, and friends
• Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, or making decisions
• Thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby.
If you experience any of these warning signs for more than two weeks, don’t hesitate to seek help from a mental health provider, especially if you’re having thoughts of harming yourself or your baby. Don’t suffer in silence or assume the symptoms will resolve without treatment. With proper care, recovery from PPD is well within your reach. ✲
Healthcare without adjectives: removing barriers to mental healthcare
by Dr. Steven Bills
As a physician, one of the most important messages I can give my patients is: “Healthcare is healthcare.” It does not matter whether the injury is emotional, mental, or physical. People are whole beings, not parts. Looking at the whole person is paramount to being healthy.
First-person healthcare
In my experience, patients tend to focus on other people with mental-health problems. It is very common for people to seek help for friends, loved ones, or spouses way before they make inquiries about their own situation. Often, we fail to address our own mental health. Mental health is a “they'' problem and not a “me” problem. There is a pervasive fear of admitting to ourselves that “I” have issues.
It is easy to accept a broken bone. Physical injuries present a tangible, obvious problem. Likewise, we understand the healing pathway and timeframe with expected results. Mental health, on the other hand, is layered in social stigmas, fears, uncertainty, and denial. We fail to confront the reality of our own trauma, dysfunctional family dynamics, childhood, life stressors, loss, and daily struggles. We choose many unhealthy ways of escaping our reality through relationships, alcohol, drugs, gambling, diets, and a multitude of activities taken to the extreme. The accepted social norm is to “take a pill for that.”
I becomes we
The truth is that mental-health
issues are common and have been for generations. According to Johns Hopkins, one in four adults over the age of 18 suffers from a diagnosable mental-health disorder.
Women are nearly twice as likely to suffer from major depression than men. However, men and women are equally likely to develop bipolar disorder. In addition, approximately 18% of people ages 18-54 in a given year have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and phobias (social phobia, agoraphobia, and specific phobia).
These statistics show real health issues. They are not rare or special. They are common. In other words, mental health isn’t a unique problem. It is a health problem without qualifier. It affects all of us.
Holistic healthcare
Help is available, and it's OK to seek help. Admission is the first step towards recovery. We need to take a holistic view of our mental health as part of our overall health.
We are always reminded by our healthcare providers to make healthy choices when it comes to diet and exercise. Making healthy choices includes how we deal with our mental health as well. It starts with being honest with ourselves. Your primary care physician should be one of the first professionals to contact. He or she can help refer you to counselors or psychiatrists, and begin a conversation about establishing a care pathway that may include medication.
Above all, your healthcare provider is both confidential and caring. Starting a conversation about your health, mental or otherwise, is always what the doctor ordered.
Dr. Steven Bills is the owner of TeleMeMD (www.myteleheathmd), an on-demand urgent-care service. Dr. Bills was born, raised, and educated in Toledo, attending St. John’s Jesuit High School and the University of Toledo and graduating in 1993 from the Medical College of Ohio. Dr. Bills completed Emergency Medicine Residency training at the joint St. Vincent/Mercy Medical Center and Toledo Hospital program. Since 1996, Dr. Bills has worked in the Northwest Ohio area in nearby Emergency Departments and as a flight physician on local area medical transport helicopters. ✲
Online resources:
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-mental-health-is-so-important
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-importance-of-mental-health-for-wellbeing-5207938
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response
https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-mental-health/
https://hope.wernertcenter.org
