Raise your hands to support mental health

Country Notebook

By Rogene "Jeannie" McPherson

Raise your hand if you know that May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.  Raise your hand again if you know mental health challenges affect millions of individuals and families in America.

The purpose of designating a month for mental health is to “raise” awareness of the issues surrounding this devastating illness that “raises” its ugly head in children, teens and adults worldwide.  I make my point by suggesting watching television. The number of commercials for mental health medications are  increasing.   I suspect the numbers may be higher in the United States than many other civilized nations due to the pressure of doing good and looking good. 

Now is likely an appropriate time to tell you, in this story, I will not be using the internet, books, pamphlets or other forms of media for recommendations or statistics.  I don’t need these resources to explain the impact mental health issues have had on my personal relationships.  Instead I’m impressing upon my readers that many of us have our own story to tell.  It takes courage to stand up and share. No personal story should be ignored or passed off as insignificant.

Do you know that most of us are willing to share about physical symptoms or illnesses, but not so if we have a mental health diagnosis?  This is referred to as the stigma of mental illness. Humanity may not be  sympathetic when it comes to mental health. 

Have you ever been guilty of making fun of someone who behaves differently than the average person? More than once I’ve had to remind myself that no one would choose the trauma of suffering from a mental health crisis.

If I were in an awareness workshop, I might be one of the first to raise my hand to tell my personal story.  So here it goes, and yes, it takes courage to put this in writing. I’ve been in a slump recently about lots of activities I normally would be completing like housekeeping, gardening, writing, and shopping.  It’s not that I don’t want do these routine events, but over the last few weeks, motivation has been an issue.  Perhaps you are thinking that I suffer from depression. I know what severe depression looks like and this is not it. Oh, maybe a dreary day might make me a little low in spirit, but my fatigue is from a physical disorder, not from mental health battles.  My point is that professional assistance is often needed to get life back in order. 

Severe depression symptoms include becoming isolated out of inability to function or fear others will recognize the characteristics. The commercials in which the actor holds up a paddle with a happy face is a good way to describe someone with depression. He or she can mask their suffering for only short periods of time. This is what I have observed, but please know the way of dealing with the extreme sadness may differ from person to person. 

I’m using the word sadness generically, but the person suffering may have a different term. From my experience, it is best not to say, “I know how you feel.”  If I could be given the opportunity for a do-over, I would have consulted with a professional to learn how to interact with someone in emotional pain.  

Although the month of May will be almost over when this is published. I don’t feel guilty, however, as we need to promote awareness of good mental health practices all year long. 

Good mental health begins in infancy, which is why I support early childhood and parenting programs like Parents as Teachers and the Linn County Health Department. The staff at the health department are constantly working to help parents not only prenatally but also in meeting the behavior, nutrition, and hygiene needs of the entire family. 

Millions of people suffer from mental health issues and I don’t totally understand why, but I am certain the crisis will not improve if we pretend everything is OK. Years ago I sought out a psychologist to help learn strategies for coping with an unplanned change in my life.  She said, “Everyone should have a therapist, even if the visits are only once a year similar to annual wellness visits.” 

Let’s think preventative as well as intervention not only for our physical health but also for mental health.  Raise both hands in applause for our mental health professionals and then take one of those hands and pat yourself on the back for becoming more aware of mental health challenges.

For help on mental health issues, contact the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center at the:

• Pleasanton office, 505 W. 15th St., 913-352-8236

• Mound City office, 223 E. Main St., 913-795-7534

Rogene “Jeannie” McPherson, from the Centerville area, is a regular contributor to the Linn County Journal. Her latest book Posts from the Country, Adventures in Rural Living is available online at Amazon.com, Thriftbooks.com, and Barnesandnoble.com.