May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. It’s a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health issues, reducing stigma, and promoting mental wellness for all.
During Mental Health Awareness Month, various organizations, mental health advocates, healthcare professionals, and communities come together to initiate conversations, share resources, and organize events aimed at educating the public about mental health and providing support to those who may be struggling. As we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month in May, we ask that you promote your own mental well-being through self-care; however, awareness also implies knowing when to decide on finding and receiving appropriate professional help.
Is it time to seek professional help?
Trauma lies in the eyes of the beholder and your experiences may vary, but in general we ask you to think about professional help, if:
- You feel upset or stressed for many days in a row.
- Your reactivity to stressors seems heightened.
- Everything just seems just a tad more difficult or even unsurmountable for an extended period of time.
- It just seems more and more difficult to “bounce back”, and
- All your regular self-help strategies do not seem to help or at least not to the same extent.
8 tips for seeking appropriate professional help
Once you feel that it’s time, awareness also means that you know how to seek appropriate professional help. Here are some tips:
- Understand what therapies are available and what may be best for you.
- If you feel comfortable enough, ask a friend or family member for recommendations.
- Look up your local hospital’s website and search for doctors who specialize in Psychology and/or Psychiatry – note many hospitals now offer virtual consultations.
- If you work for an organization that offers employee assistance programs – consider getting an appointment. These services are free and often available to retirees and/or dependents.
- Contact your local social service provider for referrals or guidance.
- If seeking treatment or help for mental and/or substance use disorders utilize authentic sources such as Findtreatment.gov or Findsupport.gov
- Access Psychology Today’s “Find a Therapist” option and search by city, zip code, name or even practice type.
- Add the following numbers into your cell phone contacts list:
- National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – 988
- Veterans Crisis Line – 988 – then press 1
- Text message: 435748 (HELP4U) OR 741741
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- Have an internal locus of control – take responsibility for our own actions including self-care.
- Get up and go to work (even at home) every morning no matter how bad the previous day/news was.
- Increase chances for success by setting obtainable professional goals.
- Analyze – consider pros and cons, make decisions days ahead, think of what ifs, always arrive or log in, or be prepared an hour ahead so that we troubleshoot less.
- Make plans and take concrete steps – for instance, plan to attend professional development six months ahead.
- Be patient and give plans time to work even though we rebel against that virtue.
- Take staycations or mental health days off.
- Note the stories or anecdotes of clients that have happy endings.
- Utilize where possible the help of a peer support group (composed of fellow service providers for instance).
- Identify and utilize resources within the organization such as Employee Assistance Programs that provide affordable professional care to the employee – https://employees.tamu.edu/eap/ OR go to: https://www.tamus.edu/business/mentalhealth/
Remember, be AWARE:
A – You are not ALONE.
W – Know WHEN to reach out.
A – APPROPRIATE help is available.
R – Ask for RECOMMENDATIONS from trusted peers.
E – EVERYONE has the right to better mental health.
Need some help getting started? Browse our Texas resources and U.S. resources.
