Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues, call or text 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a trained counselor or visit Lifeline place.
CNN
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and this year seems to coincide with a flurry of violent headlines. For many, this constant bad news adds to the stress of everyday life, which can already feel overwhelming.
According to the National Alliance on Mental IllnessEach year in the US, one in five adults experience a mental illness and one in six children ages 6-17 experience a mental health disorder. That’s millions of people. In 2021, less than half of adults received treatment.
America’s mental health crisis is having a widespread impact that affects everyone.
“One of the things that we underestimate as a society is how our global mental health affects us as individuals. And we’ve seen it time and time again when we experience gun violence,” said Michele Neff Hernandez, a 2021 CNN Hero who has helped millions of people through grief and loss through her nonprofit organization. high spirits. “We can see what happens when people don’t get the help they need; there can be tragic consequences.”
Neff Hernandez is one of many CNN heroes who have found unique ways to help people with their mental health. Some of them marked Mental Health Awareness Month by sharing tips and insights with CNN’s Elizabeth Belanger about what’s working for their communities. Below are edited versions of their conversations.
For neff hernandez, whose organization helps widows connect with each other in a supportive community, it’s important that everyone knows they’re not alone in their fight. Mental illness is common, but the stigma surrounding it is often an obstacle for people seeking the treatment they need.
Michele Neff Hernandez: When our body does not work well, going to the doctor to find the cause or help alleviate the symptoms is considered normal and even responsible. However, when we are struggling with our mental health for any reason, including grieving a death, experiencing a traumatic event, even dealing with the global and national crises that are part of our daily narrative, we are often hesitant to seek health support. mental. . The pervasive stigmatizing narrative that seeking mental health support shows weakness or that mental illness or the collapse of our mental health for whatever reason is something to be ashamed of has a significantly negative impact on our society, especially our youth.
We need to model good mental health care by learning about mental health with the same vigor that we use to learn about physical health. Imagine if meditation was as popular as weight loss. Or if taking your mood stabilizing medication looked the same way as taking your blood pressure medication. Normalizing mental health care and help-seeking is a gift we can give to ourselves and the next generation. We all need mental health support at many times in our lives; what a gift it would be if accessing that help was seen as part of normal life.
We see this in grief all the time: nobody wants to let people be sad. We seek to fix rather than listen. We put pressure on grieving people to “get over it” to make others feel more comfortable. We define success after a traumatic event as “getting back to normal,” even when going back to a past normal is impossible. The truth is that we are always changed by the challenges we overcome, and integrating what we have learned about ourselves after that is one of the key elements in building resilience. When we stigmatize mental health care, we create an environment that ensures that the people who need help the most suffer alone.
Annette March Grier is a 2014 CNN Hero and the founder of Roberta’s house, a bereavement center in Baltimore, Maryland. Its programs reach more than 4,000 people of all ages each year. In 2021, the organization moved into a new, state-of-the-art facility where it hosts in-person support groups and serves people grieving all types of loss.
March-Grier emphasizes the importance of putting yourself first to improve mental well-being.
Annette March-Grier: Everyone is looking for some kind of balance, but few find it. Your state of mind is where it all begins. Make self-care a priority for your mental well-being. “Self care is not selfish.” It is a truth that if you do not take care of yourself, you will have nothing to give to others. This includes healthy relationships that can be compromised due to stress, burnout, and a lack of self-care. Your physical health is also connected to your mental health. Negative thoughts and the suppression of these can cause discomfort and, over time, this leads to disease.
Self-care means taking time for yourself, creating a gratitude list, journaling, dancing, laughing, taking a deep breath, smelling the fresh air, being aware of your surroundings, being in the moment, enjoying the stillness when you can. , take time for yourself, play with your pet, exercise, reflect on the past, dream about the future, eat healthy, help someone in need. All these self-care activities increase endorphins in the body and cause relaxation and balance.
Sports helped 2012 CNN Hero Scott Strode overcome his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He found The Fenix in 2007 to provide free sports activities and a community of sober support for others struggling with addiction. Today, the organization is in more than 200 communities across the country with nearly 200,000 members.
Strode’s work focuses on the intersection of exercise and personal connection to benefit mental health.
Scott Strode: Social connection is a powerful tool for creating positive mental health. At The Phoenix, every day we see the profound impact that belonging and social connection have on the confidence and overall well-being of our members. Just spending a few minutes a day in the presence of other people can be inherently powerful, and luckily, it’s now easier than ever to make these vital connections.
Whether it’s getting together for an activity or just talking about the challenges you’re facing, social connectivity can help us all overcome mental health challenges.
Exercise can also be a powerful tool for improving mental health. We encourage you to go for a 15-30 minute walk or run and consider having a friend join you. Sharing these physical activities with supportive partners can create the vulnerability to start sharing about what else you might be experiencing.
Service dogs are often a useful tool for members of the military who are returning from deployment and suffering from conditions like PTSD, depression, and anxiety. 2012 CNN Hero Maria Cortani nonprofit, Operation Freedom Pawshas helped nearly 600 veterans, first responders and others train their own service dogs.
Cortani emphasizes that not all wounds are visible and that silence is not a treatment for mental illness.
Maria Cortani: If the world has taught me anything, it’s to remember to be kind, not judge what you don’t see. The pain is invisible. With all the craziness that happens every day, breathe. It’s okay to feel down, to feel overloaded, overwhelmed, sad, frustrated. Try not to cling to it. Seek help, talk to your family, friends, pastor, priest, talk to someone. And for those who listen, really listen, pay attention, because sometimes silence says more than words. There is no shame in asking for help. It takes courage, and we all have it within us.
It takes all of us to realize that mental health should be talked about, not swept under the rug. We need open and honest conversations; we have a mental health crisis in this country that is only getting worse as we become more divided. Fear only adds. Mental health doesn’t just affect veterans and first responders; it can affect everyone. Trauma is trauma, and enough repeated exposure changes the brain. There is hope and there can be healing, but we must all work together to help those who need our help.
We need to stop the silence surrounding mental health and model healthy behaviors so we can help with support and help guide you to resources. We are not alone in this, and neither are those who suffer from mental health problems.
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