Mental Health Blogs
Reaching Out to a Loved One with Substance Use Disorder
FEB. 26, 2021 | By Claire Nana
Substance use is no small problem. It affects a vast amount of people in lasting and pervasive ways. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), 27 million people are problem drug users. Chances are, you are more likely than not to have a loved one who either has, or is currently coping with, addiction.
The cornerstone of addiction is that it continues despite harmful social, interpersonal problems that are exacerbated by substance use. This may also mean that activities like sports, work and time with friends are often cast aside as the addiction becomes worse.
Because of the encompassing nature of addiction and the fact that it draws a person away from friends and family, it also takes them away from the very support system they need to recover. According to Yohan Hari, the author of Chasing the Scream, addiction isn’t just a substance abuse problem. It is also a social problem. Hari goes on to say that the opposite of addiction is not sobriety, it is connection.
This is precisely why reaching out to someone facing addiction can be so important, but also so difficult. Many of us have no idea where to start, and if the person is close to us, they have likely also done things that have been hurtful to us. So, how do we reach out to them?
Avoid Judgment
One of the most pervasive feelings someone with substance use disorder experiences is shame. They know what they are doing is hurtful, and they also know that, because of this, friends and family look at them differently than they once did. This is also why they keep using, to drown out these feelings. To reach them then, the first step is to avoid judgment. Do not tell them that what they are doing is wrong, stupid or hurtful. Don’t ask them why they are doing it. Just simply let them know that you would like to connect with them.
Provide Reassurance
As Hari notes, those facing addiction can feel incredibly alone and isolated. They are poignantly aware of how they have become more attached to their substance than they have to the people around them. Although they desire connection, they are also afraid of it. Connection brings with it responsibility and consistency, which can feel impossible when battling substance use.
If a person has already lost many friends and family, they may be afraid of losing more, and are always “on the lookout” for signs of abandonment. For this reason, one of the most important things you can do when reaching out to someone is to provide reassurance that you are there for them.
State Your Commitment
Because recovery from a substance use disorder can be a long and messy process, it is normal for someone to fear abandonment should they relapse. Relapse, however, is part of recovery. When reaching out to someone facing substance use, it can be incredibly powerful to state that, even if they relapse on their way to recovery, you will continue to support them.
Use Curiosity
For people who have not experienced substance use issues personally, it can defy logic. A person continues to do something that causes harm to themselves and those around them, and yet they will not stop. It is simply hard to understand. Moreover, because they have probably experienced judgment and criticism, some may feel that sober friends and family can’t understand.
However, a powerful way to begin the process of understanding what underlies an addiction is simply to use curiosity. Statements like, “I’m not sure if I can understand, but I’d like to know what it is like for you when you use your drug, and how it makes you feel,” or “I wonder if it is like anything in my life that may help me understand.” Using curiosity in this way opens the door for communication, empathy and connection.
Make It Okay Not To Understand
It is possible that even after trying to understand what underlies your loved one’s addiction, you still won’t understand. However, this does not mean that you cannot support them. Understanding is helpful and can be incredibly powerful, but it is not requisite for support. Many facing addiction feel that if you don’t “get it” you can’t, or won’t, help them. So, it is important that you tell them directly that you will support them despite not understanding their substance use.
Coping with a loved one’s substance use can be a trying and messy process. It is filled with ups and downs, unexpected challenges and hurt feelings. Yet even given all of that, it is an incredible opportunity to connect with your loved one in a profound way. By supporting them throughout their mental health journey, you lay the groundwork for both recovery and connection.
Claire Nana, LMFT, is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in post-traumatic growth, optimal performance and wellness. She has worked with the recovery population developing wellness programs, in residential fitness camps as a clinical therapist, and in private practice counseling individuals and families. Shas written over 30 continuing education courses on a variety of topics, including nutrition and mental health, wound care, post-traumatic growth, motivation and stigma.
Youth Mental Health First Aid Gave Me Hope
May 21, 2021 | By Karen Richards, Writer, and Mental Health First Aider
In December 2020, I took a Youth Mental Health First Aid class. This training teaches parents, teachers and other adults how to support young people with mental health challenges, including how to use nonjudgmental listening skills and how to approach a young person and encourage them to seek treatment if needed.
One of the first things we learned is the difference just one person can make in a teen’s life by simply asking, “Are you OK?” Sometimes, it’s all you can do to calm your own internal storm long enough to connect and hold space for them, but the effort can truly make a difference.
In the training, we talked about a quote from the movie “The Replacements:” “Like a duck on a pond. On the surface everything looks calm, but beneath the water those little feet are churning a mile a minute.” This is how parents and caregivers often need to be when talking to a teen about mental health. This is now what I try to do when talking to my teenage son, Gabe.
Gabe has depression and anxiety. When Gabe treads into territory that scares me — his feelings of despair and discontent — when he threatens with an ardent rush of words to convince both of us nothing matters and nothing will ever get better, I take a deep breath and present my carefully arranged features to him, holding my hands in my lap so he will not see them quivering. I ask him, “What can I do?” and wait in the silence for the answer.
Because of COVID-19, I took Youth MHFA virtually. During the training, I wrote bullet points in my notebook, each marked with a star:
- *Tip the scales towards resilience for at-risk teens by becoming the one stable committed adult they can turn to
- *Approach them with an open heart and mind.
- *Use person-first language: a boy struggling with depression, instead of a depressed boy.
The training reminds me that Gabe is more than the sum of his challenges — though that is sometimes difficult for both of us to see or believe. Often his sadness and stubborn anxiety take up all the space in the room. There’s nothing left for laughter, lightness, or the faint memory of the blond boy he once was, the one who ran through the neighborhood with a plastic sword and eye patch singing, “What do you do with a scurvy pirate?”
We split into breakout rooms for a role-playing exercise on suicide prevention. Each of us is paired with another participant. We must ask one another a single question, from the heart, gazing through the surreal lens of the computer’s camera. A question we are not to answer, just to pose. One I have been asked before, but never asked anyone else: Are you thinking about killing yourself?
I speak it as soft as a prayer, the way I spoke in the dark confessional as a child. I feel like I might faint. My partner’s kind eyes regard me from the Zoom window until we return to the larger group to share our experiences. I begin, “I’ve never asked this question before, even though I have a son who struggled with an episode of severe depression. I wasn’t sure how to do it.” But then I stop myself. That’s not true. Or it’s a half-truth.
“I was afraid to ask,” I tell the group of kind strangers. “Because I was afraid to hear the answer. I wish I knew then what I know now. I feel like now I could ask it, no matter what.”
I take another deep breath and turn off my video as people share their experiences. “The truth will make you stronger,” I tell myself.
We end the day-long session reviewing guidelines about delivering reassurance to teenagers, the importance of offering both facts and hope. In this country, an adolescent dies of suicide once every hour and 29 minutes — the time it takes to watch a movie on Netflix or bake a cake from scratch. The conditions of the pandemic have increased loneliness and depression for teens, isolating them further from the world around them, from the face-to-face peer interactions they need to develop and thrive. Knowledge can take them only so far. They need to know things, but they also need to feel. Enter hope — an invisible protective cloak — a bit like a superpower: the ability to envision a different, better future that does not currently exist.
I remember saying to Gabe once, “I know you might not believe it, but you won’t feel this way forever. You have things ahead of you, a whole life you can’t see or imagine yet. But it’s there waiting for you.” He just looked at me and went back to his phone.
But I keep saying the kinds of words I now know plant seeds for him of the life he could have. It’s my job to keep the lights on when he comes home late, make his favorite meals, bring the puppy to his bedroom in the mornings before school.
It’s as if I’m saying, “See, life is still here for you, even if you don’t want it or don’t care. Just reach out your hand. Let me show you. I’ll stay with you as long as it takes.”
Talking to Children About Racial Bias
June 25, 2020 | By: Ashaunta Anderson, MD, MPH, MSHS, FAAP & Jacqueline Dougé, MD, MPH, FAAP
Given the tragic and racially-charged current events, many parents are wrestling with their own feelings, the hopes they have for their children, and the difficulty of helping those children thrive in a world full of racial bias.
Parents may better face today’s challenges with an understanding of how racial bias works in children, as well as strategies to help them deal with and react to racial differences.
How Do Children Learn Racial Bias?
Children learn about racial differences and racial bias from an early age and learn from their first teachers—their parents—how to deal with and react to these differences.
The process of learning racial bias is a lot like learning a new language (e.g., a child raised bilingual vs. a child who starts learning Spanish in junior high). Biology determines a critical early learning period as well as a later window where learning is much harder.
- As early as 6 months, a baby’s brain can notice race-based differences.
- By ages 2 to 4, children can internalize racial bias.
- By age 12, many children become set in their beliefs—giving parents a decade to mold the learning process, so that it decreases racial bias and improves cultural understanding.
But like language immersion, children exposed to society will gain fluency in racial bias even if their parents do nothing.
Strategies to Help Children Deal with Racial Bias
There are three strategies that parents can use to help their children deal with racial bias:
- Talk to your children and acknowledge that racial differences and bias exist.
- Confront your own bias and model how you want your children to respond to others who may be different than them.
- Encourage your children to challenge racial stereotypes and racial bias by being kind and compassionate when interacting with people of all racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.
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What Racism Felt Like to a 7-Year-Old:How Parents Can Confront Their Own Racial Bias
Parents must first confront their own biases, so that their example is consistent with messages of racial and ethnic tolerance.
- Be a role model. Identify and correct your own racially biased thoughts, feelings, and actions. If you want your children to believe what you preach, you have to exhibit those behaviors as well. Your everyday comments and actions will say more than anything else.
- Have a wide, culturally diverse social network. Encourage your children to have diverse circles of friends, as well. This lends itself to engagement in multicultural activities and experiences.
- Travel and expose your children to other communities. This can help them understand that there is diversity in the world that might not be represented in the community that you live in.
- Get involved in your child’s school, your place of worship, and politics. Parents who are involved in this way are better able to advocate for fair treatment of racially marginalized groups and raise awareness of race issues in other groups.
Tips for Talking About Racial Differences & Racism
Talking about race is not racist. It’s OK—and important. From a young age, children may have questions about racial differences and parents must be prepared to answer them. But, it’s important to keep your child’s developmental readiness in mind.
- For preschoolers: At this age, your child may begin to notice and point out differences in the people around you (i.e., at the grocery store, at the park, etc.). If your child asks about someone’s skin tone, you might say, “Isn’t it wonderful that we are all so different!” You can even hold your arm against theirs to show the differences in skin tones in your family.
- For grade-schoolers: This is the age that is important to have open talks with your child about race, diversity, and racism. Discussing these topics will help your child see you as a trusted source of information on the topic, and he or she can come to you with any questions. Point out stereotypes and racial bias in media and books such as villains or “bad guys” in movies.
- If your child makes comments or asks you questions about race based on school incidents or something they read or watched: Further the discussion with questions such as, “How do you feel about that?” and “Why do you think that?” This is also helpful if your child heard something insensitive or if your child experienced racial bias themselves. Before responding to his or her statement or question, figure out where it came from and what it means from his or her perspective. See Talking to Children About Tragedies & Other News Events for more information.
These conversations begin to lay the groundwork for your child to accept and respect everyone’s differences and similarities. As children mature, the answers to questions will become more complex. These are moments to learn what your child understands or is struggling to understand about racial bias.
Remember:
To create a culture of inclusiveness, we all must look at and acknowledge our biases, so we can do something about the ones that are unfair or cause harm to others—like racial bias. Understanding the way people feel about and behave toward those outside their own group can help communities heal after a tragedy, as well as prevent future ones.
Additional Resources to Help Parents Address Racism & Discrimination:
- Teaching Children Cultural and Racial Pride
- Help Your Kids Find Books with Diverse Characters(Common Sense Media)
- Apps and Games with Diverse Characters(Common Sense Media)
- Beyond the Golden Rule. A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice(Tolerance.org)
- A Conversation on Race (New York Times)
- Racism and Its Impact on Child and Adolescent Health (AAP Policy Statement)
Stress Awareness Month April 2021: What You Need to Know
January 28, 2021 | by Charlotte Grainger
We can’t stress enough what a major role stress plays in our everyday lives, yet we seldom talk about it. Finding the energy and courage to speak out during a stressful period can feel impossible, but ignoring stress can lead to a whole host of health problems. Since April marks the annual Stress Awareness Month, it’s time we talked about the “S” word.
What Is Stress Awareness Month?
Sponsored by The Health Resource Network (HRN), National Stress Awareness Month is an annual campaign that began back in 1992 and has taken place every April since.
During this month, health care professionals unite to raise awareness of what effects stress has on people’s everyday wellness, and what can be done to combat it. Public forums, discussion groups, and other informative community events are employed to shed more light on the health impacts of stress.
What Can You Do During Stress Awareness Month?
If you’re hoping to get involved with this year’s events, look at local groups to see what activities they have planned. For example, you may find that fundraising events are going on near you. Take the time to consider what you could offer.
If you prefer not to get involved in organized events – perhaps because you find them stressful – there are still some things you can do as an individual to manage your own stress and to reduce the stress of those around you. Here are a few ideas:
Share Your Story
If you experience stress or anxiety, April could be a good time to share your story, perhaps via social media. Mental health issues have been considered taboo for far too long, but this is changing, and you can help to change it too.
Seek Professional Support
If you think that stress is harming your health, but you’ve been putting off doing anything about it, now could be a good time to seek some support. Talk to your doctor and (if necessary) let them refer you to the right professional for the right care.
Reach Out to Your Social Circle
Regardless of whether you want to share your story with the whole world, and even if you seek (and get) professional support, there’s no time like the present to engage with your close social circle. As the old saying goes, “a problem shared is a problem halved.”
Perfect Your Personal Coping Mechanisms
We’re all unique and, as individuals, we all cope with stressful situations in different ways. If you’ve suffered from stress before, you may already know what you need to do to take the edge off your stress responses. Now could be the time to perfect your personal coping mechanisms, perhaps by getting ideas from other people and sharing your stress-reduction techniques with them.
Be Kind!
Kindness seems to be something more people are talking about in regards to stress. It costs nothing but could make a huge difference in people’s lives. By being kind to each other in April – and every month before and after that – we could reduce stress all round. This can only be a good thing.
How Does Stress Impact Your Health?
Stress can affect you physically as well as mentally, so let’s look at some of the physical manifestations of failing to effectively manage your stress.
Stress and Your Heart
Having a healthy heart should always be a top priority. The American Heart Association says that more research is needed to determine the part that stress plays in your heart health. However, experts agree that periods of stress can lead to behaviors that increase the risk of developing heart disease. Maybe you eat more, drink more alcohol, or smoke more when you’re stressed. None of these things are good for your cardiovascular health.
Stress and Your Digestion
Do you know that your gut is lined with more than 100 million neurons, meaning that – in a sense – it has its own brain? So if stress can affect the mental health of your main brain, maybe it can affect your digestive mental health too. According to Harvard Health, psychological stress can cause ongoing digestive problems, such as constipation or (at the other end of the scale) diarrhea.
If you experience such symptoms for no obvious reason, you should see a doctor sooner rather than later to see if the cause could be psychological rather than physiological.
Stress and Your Weight
One of the most visible ways that stress can affect your health is through weight gain. Research published in the Biological Psychiatry Journal suggests that everyday stressors can cause your body to metabolize substances slower, which means you burn fewer calories throughout the day.
According to the National Health Service, obesity and even simply being overweight have been linked to a myriad of health concerns, including type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, certain kinds of cancers, and strokes. To avoid these things, there is one clear course of action: look for the signs of stress and start taking the steps to control it.
What Are The Signs of Stress?
We all experience some form of stress from time to time. Mental and physical problems arise when this occasional “acute” stress turns into long-term “chronic” stress. Learning to spot the signs of stress could help you keep it in check. According to the Mental Health Foundation, we should be looking out for the following signs of stress:
Physical Changes
Some of the physical manifestations of stress are headaches, sickness, and indigestion. You may also experience weight loss or gain. While all these things could be symptomatic of something else, it could be worth consulting with a doctor if you experience a combination of these physical changes.
Mental Changes
Stress will impact your mental state. You could find yourself becoming irritable, inflexible, short-tempered, or snapping at people. Stress can also be linked to a lack of sleep and (subsequently) difficulty concentrating. Seek some help if this becomes the norm rather than the exception.
Emotional Changes
Similar to the mental changes, stress can wreak havoc with your emotional state, and you could start feeling anxious, fearful, frustrated, angry, or sad for no apparent reason. Search for some professional answers if your feelings lead you to be oversensitive and emotional.
Behavioral Changes
Out-of-control emotions can lead to unusual behavior, such as becoming overly reliant on substances such as caffeine, alcohol, or other drugs. Changes to your appetite and sleep patterns could also indicate an issue. Be aware of how you usually – or used to – behave, and ask for advice if anyone tells you you’re not acting like “you.”
3 Simple Tips for Reducing Stress
Having determined if you are susceptible to stress or are already stressed (as if you didn’t know), are you ready to reduce your stress? Many of the stress tests we’ve listed come with recommendations on how to keep your stress in check. Here are a few stress safety tips that you can include in your stress management toolkit:
Keep a Journal: It can help to write things down. So, if you’re experiencing a broad range of emotions and struggling to cope, buy a notebook to try journaling. Research from the University of Rochester suggests that spending ten minutes per day jotting down how you feel can help lower stress, relieve anxiety, and allow you to better cope with depression.
Exercise: Don’t discount the power of exercise. Physical activity causes your body to produce powerful endorphins. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, these hormones can help you sleep and (in turn) lower your stress levels. Whether hitting the gym or simply walking to work, try to incorporate regular exercise into your daily life.
Talk to Your Friends: When you’re stressed out, it can feel as though the whole world is against you, which is certainly not the case. Take the time to express how you feel to the people around you. Opening up about your struggles might mean you get some extra social support, clarity on the situation, and advice from the people who matter the most.
The Final Takeaway
Here’s our takeaway to help take away your stress:
If you experience stress in your own life – like most of us do – or you know other people who are stressed, you should take the time to make a positive change. This could include getting involved with events or simply talking to those around you about this important subject.
Stress Awareness Month is an opportunity to start some serious conversations about stress, but you shouldn’t stop talking about it when April has come and gone.
More Resources
Stress Awareness Month: https://stressawarenessmonth.com
The American Institute of Stress: https://www.stress.org/
Anxiety and Depression Association of America: https://adaa.org/
Harvard Health, Articles on Stress: https://www.health.harvard.edu/topics/stress
National Minority Health Month: Fighting for health equity year ’round
APRIL 9, 2021 | by Armin Brott
April is National Minority Health Month, making it the perfect time to focus on the often-significant disparities in health and well-being that affect racial and ethnic minorities across our country. But it’s important to remember that these inequities exist every single day of the year, not just in April.
What do we mean by “disparities” and “inequities”? Well, according to the Commonwealth Fund (commonwealthfund.org), compared with the general population, members of racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to receive preventive health services and often receive lower-quality care. They also have worse health outcomes for certain conditions.”
Here are just a few examples. Black Americans are more likely than the general population to have hypertension (high blood pressure) or asthma, to be overweight or obese, and to develop cancer. They’re also less likely to have health insurance, which means that they’re less likely to get the treatment they need to improve their health. Similarly, Hispanic Americans and American Indians and Alaska Natives are more likely than the general population to have diabetes and hypertension, but less likely to have insurance.
And let’s not overlook the health issue that’s been on everyone’s mind for the past 13 months: COVID-19, which has killed more than 550,000 Americans. But COVID hasn’t affected all communities equally. While one in 1,040 Asian Americans and one in 665 White Americans has died from the virus, one in 565 Pacific Islander Americans, one in 555 Black Americans, and one in 390 Indigenous Americans have died, according to APM Research Lab’s “Color of Coronavirus” project (apmresearchlab.org), which tracks the differences in how COVID-19 affects different communities. Put another way, Indigenous, Black, and Pacific Islander Americans are more than twice as likely as the general public to die from COVID.
What causes these disproportionate outcomes from COVID-19 and other causes? Certainly, access to health care (which is in part driven by whether one has health insurance or not) plays a role. But so do poverty, lack of education, unemployment, housing problems, unsafe neighborhoods, shortage of playgrounds and full-service supermarkets (where people can buy healthy food) and other factors. The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI. pcori.org) has funded more than 100 studies related to these and other disparities.
As we focus on the disparities in health care experienced by many minorities, Men’s Health Network (MHN, menshealthnetwork.org) points out one minority that’s often overlooked: males. While there’s no question that certain ethnic and racial groups do better, health-wise, than others, there’s also no question that within every one of those ethnic and racial groups, boys and men do far worse than girls and women.
For example, on average (counting all racial and ethnic groups), women’s life expectancy is a bit over 81 years; men’s is just 76. Among African and Native Americans, women’s life expectancy is over 78 years, while men’s is around 72.
Focusing just on COVID-19, According to GlobalHealth5050.org, men are less likely than women to be tested, to test positive, and be vaccinated, but they’re more likely than women to require hospitalization and admission to intensive care units (ICUs), and to die. This is true in nearly every age group.
The good news is that many communities around the country are trying to address some of these inequities by doing special outreach—and making vaccines available—to those minority communities that are disproportionately affected by COVID. The bad news is that boys and men—who are more severely affected than females—aren’t given priority.
To celebrate National Minority Health Month, we urge you to let your elected officials know about the health inequities—including the ones that disproportionately affect men—that exist in nearly every community in this country. But you can’t just wait around for everyone else to act, which is why MHN urges you and your family to take the first step: try to get more exercise, eat more fresh fruits and veggies, cut back on red meat, limit your alcohol and quit smoking.
And if you’re male, pick up the phone and make an appointment for a complete physical. At the same time, as long as COVID is an issue, wear your mask when you go out, wash your hands, and get vaccinated. The life you save may be your own.
How to Support a Loved One Who Has Been Impacted by COVID-19
January 13, 2021 | By Mental Health First Aid USA There isn’t much the COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t impacted – it’s affected how we interact with each other, where and how we work, how we celebrate life events, and most importantly, how we feel. Regardless of how you have been impacted by COVID-19, feeling supported and being able to offer support to loved ones has become extremely important. The future is unpredictable and as a society we may be feeling the mental health effects of the pandemic long after it is over, so it’s crucial that we offer support to one another now.
Everyone responds to stress and change differently. You may feel angry, while your best friend feels sad. Someone else may feel nervous, scared or unmotivated. It’s important to recognize changes in those close to you early on, so you can be there for them and offer help as appropriate. It’s also important to remember that there is no single way to offer help, because everyone is unique and has their own story.
Here are some do’s and don’ts from the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) curriculum to help you have a supportive conversation with a friend or loved one:
- Don’t force someone to talk. There’s not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution, and you may have to have more than one conversation. That’s OK! Let the other person go at their own pace.
- Acknowledge changes cause by the pandemic. This seems intuitive, but acknowledging that this event is having wide-reaching effects is the first step to accepting that things have changed. It can be hard to accept that the “normal” we once knew is still on hold and adjusting may be difficult for some. It’s also typical to feel anxious, stressed or angry. Try talking about these emotions and letting the other person vent if they need to.
- Listen and communicate without judgement. When someone opens up to you about how the pandemic has impacted them, remain calm and patient. How they react to change is personal, and it’s important that you genuinely listen.
- Don’t interrupt. Ask questions and pay attention to their tone when they speak – a little empathy can go a long way.
- Discuss coping strategies. Ask the person how they would like to be helped. Self-care is always a great place to start, so ask if they have an activity or hobby they like to do. It can also be helpful to encourage them to take a break to relax, avoid technology, and discourage unhealthy coping mechanisms like substance use.
- Accept their experience. Reactions to stress are as unique as the people who experience them.
- Share resources. You may not be able to personally offer someone the help they need, and that’s OK. Keep a list of local and national mental health resources handy so you can share that information when appropriate.
- Encourage professional help. If you notice someone you know is having a harder time coping, encourage help from a mental health professional. Many providers are offering telehealth services to make access to care easier while complying with physical distancing guidelines, and local resources like community centers may be offering mental health programs, classes and support groups to help.
Supporting My Husband Through His Panic Attacks
My husband had his first panic attack in his late 40s when he was driving – alone – through a rural area on his way to a business meeting. He stopped at a rest area to get gas and a snack. Not long after resuming his drive, he suddenly felt like his throat was closing up. Convinced that he was going into anaphylactic shock from the peanuts he had just eaten, he drove to the nearest emergency room, where they gave him a shot of ephedrine, monitored him for a while and sent him on his way armed with extra EpiPens and a big hospital bill.
The next few weeks were scary for both of us, but mostly for my husband. After potential physical causes were ruled out, he was told that it had probably “just” been a panic attack brought on by the stress of work and a very unpleasant boss.
After this incident, I wanted to learn more and be better prepared to support my husband. I attended a Mental Health First Aid training held by my employer. After the training, I brought my Mental Health First Aid manual home with me, where it sat, lonely and untouched, because my sweet partner was sure that what had happened to him was a one-time event – and even if by some chance it did happen again, he would just power through it.
Then one night we were sitting downstairs watching television when he said, “I feel funny.”
I said, “Are you going to throw up?”
He said he didn’t think he was going to throw up, but he wasn’t making any promises.
“What are you feeling?” I asked.
He said he was feeling kind of chilled, but also sweaty. He felt like his heart was beating too fast … and that his throat was becoming constricted.
“Hold on,” I said. “Let me go get that book.”
I grabbed my Mental Health First Aid manual and turned to the chapter on First Aid for Mental Health Crises – specifically, “First Aid for Panic Attacks.” I read the list of symptoms and he met about three-quarters of them. We followed the instructions for what to say and do when someone is having a panic attack – stay calm, reassure him that he wasn’t dying, etc. The most reassuring part was being able to let my husband know that the worst of it would probably be over in 10 minutes.
Now, several years later, my husband still experiences anxiety at times, but therapy and using medication as needed have prevented full-blown panic attacks. But, if a panic attack happens, we are both better prepared for it, thanks to the information we gained through Mental Health First Aid.
“Why is it still so hard for young people of color to get therapy?”
“My mom is a preacher and she never made me feel like it would be weird [to go to therapy]. But internally, you kind of just have that feeling,” said Jamir Milligan (“Why is it Still so Hard for Young People of Color to Get Therapy,” VICE, June 4, 2019).
Jamir was a 19-year-old student when he first thought about suicide and tried to find a therapist. But it wasn’t easy. He didn’t have any friends or family who had seen a therapist before, so everything was self-directed and self-motivated. On top of that, he faced growing mental health stigma from his community.
“That feeling, as I and so many other black and brown people know, is centuries’ worth of shame surrounding mental illness – especially depression. Depending on your background, depression and other mental illnesses have been addressed in a plethora of ways, including praying it away in Black, Latinx and South Asian cultures, self-medicating or just ignoring it.”
For many communities of color, there is strong resistance against thinking of mental illness in the same way as medical illness, and seeking help is often seen as weakness. The stigma has grown over many years, and now young people like Jamir are facing the consequences.
And Jamir isn’t alone.
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health, depression is reported as the most common mental health condition across all minorities. The numbers are disheartening :
- Puerto Ricans reported the highest rate of depression at 40 percent.
- Black beneficiaries had a 27.1 percent rate of depression nationwide.
- American Indian and Alaskan Native Medicare beneficiaries reported rates of depression 9 percent greater than white beneficiaries.
Many young people of color who are facing mental health or substance use challenges don’t seek therapy because of the stigma and shame associated with mental illness in their communities. When they do, they have very limited access to the help they need.
Some struggle to find a therapist who understands their cultural background or specific concerns, while others can’t find a therapist within their budget.
According to research from 2016, Black and Latinx Americans have had “persistently lower insurance coverage rates at all ages” and those who do have insurance are more likely to lose it compared to their white counterparts. Then, they have to choose between spending more money than they have or getting the mental health help they need.
Mental Health First Aid can help.
Mental Health First Aid teaches people, including young people of color, how to identify the signs and symptoms of a mental health or substance use challenge, where resources can be found and how to address stigma and talk about it.
After multiple meetings and phone calls, Jamir found a therapist who understands his concerns and fits within his budget. But it shouldn’t be this hard and nobody should have to do it alone. Get trained in Mental Health First Aid and join a community of 1.7 million people who understand and value mental health. Together, we can #BeTheDifference and help each other in the journey to recovery.
How and Why The 5 Steps Can Help – Step 5
FOLLOW UP
How – After your initial contact with a person experiencing thoughts of suicide, and after you’ve connected them with the immediate support systems they need, make sure to follow-up with them to see how they’re doing. Leave a message, send a text, or give them a call. The follow-up step is a great 
time to check in with them to see if there is more you are capable of helping with or if there are things you’ve said you would do and haven’t yet had the chance to get done for the person.
Why – This type of contact can continue to increase their feelings of connectedness and share your ongoing support. There is evidence that even a simple form of reaching out, like sending a caring postcard, can potentially reduce their risk for suicide.
Studies have shown a reduction in the number of deaths by suicide when following up was involved with high risk populations after they were discharge from acute care services. Studies have also shown that brief, low cost intervention and supportive, ongoing contact may be an important part of suicide prevention. Please visit our Follow-Up Matters page for more.
How and Why The 5 Steps Can Help – Step 4
HELP THEM CONNECT
How – Helping someone with thoughts of suicide connect with ongoing supports (like the Lifeline, 800-273-8255) can help them establish a safety net for those moments they find themselves in a crisis. Additional components of a safety net might be connecting them with supports and resources in their communities. Explore some of these possible supports with them – are they currently seeing a mental 
health professional? Have they in the past? Is this an option for them currently? Are there other mental health resources in the community that can effectively help?
One way to start helping them find ways to connect is to work with them to develop a safety plan. This can include ways for them identify if they start to experience significant, severe thoughts of suicide along with what to do in those crisis moments. A safety plan can also include a list of individuals to contact when a crisis occurs. The My3 app is a safety planning and crisis intervention app that can help develop these supports and is stored conveniently on your smartphone for quick access.
Why – Impact of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training on the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline found that individuals that called the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline were significantly more likely to feel less depressed, less suicidal, less overwhelmed, and more hopeful by the end of calls handled by Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training-trained counselors. These improvements were linked to ASIST-related counselor interventions, including listening without judgment, exploring reasons for living and creating a network of support.
