Fall 2020 Faulkner Lifestyle

health
Let‘s work to end the stigma associated with seeking
mental health treatment so when people encounter
tough times, they seek help instead of suffering.
The Silent Epidemic
BY AYISHA CANANT, PHD
This year of 2020 has really been
historic. We are internationally
experiencing a pandemic, economic
turmoil, racial tension and political
chaos. Nationally we are seeing spikes in
suicide rates, overdoses, addictions, and
marriage/family conflict. Statistics show
us more first responders die by suicide
than in the line of duty and police are
being called to homes for domestic issues
at almost twice the rate now. What about
right here in our community? We are
seeing these trends locally as well. With
so much change and lack of predictability
in our lives over an extended period of
time, our mental health needs attention.
Some are calling mental health issues
the silent epidemic and mental health
workers invisible first responders. Why
silent or invisible? And by being in
the shadows, what impact does that
have on our community? Although
improving, mental health is still largely
misunderstood, and by sharing information
we hope to move out of the
silence and into the conversations.
Here are some common
questions we are asked:
Does Counseling work?
Take depression for example, since
according to the World Health Organization
it is the number one world cause of
disability. Years of research all over the
world conclude that a person seeking
treatment is significantly improved
compared to a person who does not.
How does talking about things make
it better? Talking in a session is not the
same as talking to friends or family.
Think about it like this, if you want to
eat better, you can talk to friends and
family and some may have great advice.
But if you talk to a nutritionist who
has years of education and experience
directly related to diet and nutrition,
your conversation will be completely
different. In this conversation you are
talking with someone who has in-depth
knowledge about the research and
treatment for that area and can help you
create an individualized plan to make the
improvements. Similar to so many other
fields, you are not just talking about
your concerns, you are working with an
experienced professional trained to help
you improve some area of your life.
How long does it take?
This is a common question but no
straightforward answer. Just like any area
you want to make a change in, people
are different in regard to how fast that
change occurs. If a person wants to
manage their money better, some people
can make quick budget changes while
others take longer. Among other things,
22 faulkner lifestyle | fall 2020