Battling mental health issues can be isolating and scary. More than one in five Americans live with mental illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Charleston mental health and community outreach professionals say it’s important to normalize talking about mental health struggles and ask for help that’s available.
“Those with mental health conditions may feel helpless or guilty, thinking that they are alone and no one understands what they are experiencing,” said David Gehr of Mount Pleasant, Charleston clinic director of the Charleston Dorchester Mental Health Center. “Their reaction may be to further withdraw, reducing the critical support they need from their family, friends and community.”
Mental illness impacts adults and children in all demographics, Gehr said, and those who are struggling often feel there is no solution.
“Mental health conditions are treatable,” he said. “Those experiencing mental health challenges don’t need to just accept this. Open communication increases feelings of support and leads to a better likelihood of someone getting the help they need.”
And it’s important to get mental health care — just like it is to treat other medical conditions, he said. A person’s mental and physical health interrelate — neglecting one can negatively impact the other, and likewise, addressing one need can benefit the other.
“For much of the past, a person needing mental health treatment would be stigmatized, reducing the likelihood that they would receive the help they need,” Gehr said. “Thankfully, this appears to be changing. There is more recognition and acceptance of mental health care than ever before, but as a society, we can do more to support the recovery of those with mental illness.”
Creating a safe space
While societal shame is still frequently assigned to mental health issues in America, people can break through the awkwardness of listening to a loved one or coworker who reaches out. Listening could make all the difference in the world, said Chase Glenn of Hanahan, the executive director of Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA).
“Creating space for open and honest conversations about mental health could quite literally save someone’s life,” Glenn said. “We all need to get more comfortable with it.”
That starts with a general understanding that almost everyone is grappling with psychological or cognitive hurdles.
“Generally speaking, I see a real lack of empathy around me,” he said. “The thing is, you don’t necessarily have to completely understand someone’s experience to be able to have compassion for them. But it takes empathy to be able to step outside of your own personal experience and be sensitive to others’ struggles and needs.”
The demands of the work week and the drain of social unrest require people to take a step back when they need it to take care of themselves, he said.
“Setting boundaries for yourself and protecting your own peace is a really important skill set in life,” Glenn said. “Find activities that give you life. For me, I love gardening. I also have a wonderful support system around me [of] family and friends who ‘get it.’ They understand that sometimes that [support] means talking things out or venting or crying — and sometimes it means talking about anything other than what’s going on politically. There is no shame in doing what you need to do to recharge. … We need to pace ourselves.”
The stress of social issues
When people are marginalized by society, their mental health may suffer, said Mel Moore, a Lowcountry resident and director of organizing for the Women’s Rights and Empowerment Network (WREN).
Besides legislation affecting human rights, mass shootings and police brutality riddle the news constantly, Moore said, which can create mental health challenges — especially on the other side of the Covid-19 shutdown that isolated everyone for a long period of time.
“We’ve just been through a lot together collectively as a country … there’s a lot going on that is negatively impacting everyone,” Moore said. “It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed, to feel isolated and to feel traumatized …”
When lesgilating on controversial topics like abortion or gender identity impacts the relationships people have with their identities, health care providers and public spaces, they can feel ground down, Moore said.
“These are not spaces that you should legislate … it makes people have a hard time seeing a future for themselves,” Moore said. “It takes away our agency. And when our agency is taken away, it’s scary. Every year the bill numbers change, but the underlying sentiments stay the same … our rights are never going to be set in stone. We’re always constantly having to fight for them.”
Mental health resources
In a study published May 1, Forbes Advisor ranked South Carolina the sixth worst state for mental health care based on seven metrics, including access to and cost of mental health care.
Using 2018-2019 data from Mental Health America, the study determined that about 31.7% of South Carolina adults with a cognitive disability could not see a doctor due to cost and 67.6% of youth who had a major depressive episode did not receive mental health services.
It also reported based on 2020 data from the U.S. Census Bureau that South Carolina has the lowest number of mental health treatment centers compared to all other states, with only 30.87 per 10,000 businesses.
Compassion is key, Moore said, for both yourself and others. Breathing techniques and mindfulness, such as meditation, can be positive tools to incorporate into a daily routine when feeling overwhelmed or disconnected.
“I encourage folks to write a care plan,” Moore said, so trusted advisors or loved ones will know someone’s wishes in the event of an emergency.
- For therapeutic support and mental health resources, visit the S.C. Department of Mental Health, AFFA and We Are Family online. The Choose Mental Health nonprofit organization provides questions to ask a new therapist.
- If someone has thoughts about suicide, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or reach out to the Trevor Project by calling 866-488-7386 or texting START to 678-678. The Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-565-8860.
- The S.C. Department of Mental Health has a mobile crisis team in 46 counties. Call 833-364-2274 or email mobilecrisis@scdmh.org.
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides support and education.
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