GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Nationwide people are recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month.
Here in Green Bay, the issue of mental health continues to grow. A prime example of that is Wellspring, a daytime drop in center for women.
“One woman talks to the next woman about here’s a good safe place,” says Wellspring Program Supervisor Jane Jordan. “That you can gain that understanding and support that you need to deal with the life issues that are creating the mental distress.”
During the last 5 years, Wellspring has had a 41 percent increase in the number of women who use its services. Guests may participate in personal healing/growth programs, connect with other women, learn about resources in the community or share their gifts with other guests.
The program of Wellspring is run by Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, who offer a number of services to those in the community who may be struggling with mental health conditions, homelessness, or another type of crisis.
For Jordan, May is the month to shine that light on mental health issues.
“It’s understanding that it’s as important to deal with our mental health as it is our physical health,” Jordan explains. “When we think about someone breaking their leg, people rally around that person. They go see the doctor, they get medicine that might be needed, friends and family help out that person. Well, people experiencing a mental health challenge, that person needs the same care and understanding.”
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), nearly 1 in 5 Americans suffers from a mental illness each year. That’s about 42.5 million Americans who endure conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Also, approximately 9.3 million adults experience “serious mental illness” — which is their condition impedes day-to-day activities like going to work.
“It is May that is the reminder that recovery mentally is no different than recovering physically,” Jordan says. “A person may need some medicine to assist in fixing the brain chemicals if things aren’t working correctly. You need good friends, family members, or a professional therapist to talk through what’s happening to gain the understanding, skills and tools to move through the mental recovery.”
NATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
Mental Health America is marking 2016’s version of Mental Health Awareness Month with the theme “Life with a Mental Illness”.
According to its website, that means asking people to share what life with a mental illness feels like for them in words, pictures and video by tagging their social media posts with #mentalillnessfeelslike (or submitting to MHA anonymously). Posts will be collected and displayed at mentalhealthamerica.net/feelslike.
Posting with the hashtag will allow people to speak up about their own experiences, to share their point of view with individuals who may be struggling to explain what they are going through—and help others figure out if they too are showing signs of a mental illness.
Sharing is the key to breaking down negative attitudes and misperceptions surrounding mental illnesses, and to show others that they are not alone in their feelings and their symptoms.