Prioritizing mental health isn’t just vital for individuals; it’s essential for communities at large. So to start out the new year, we have gathered psychologists, psychiatrists and counselors for a roundtable discussion focused on the importance of maintaining our mental well-being. As we plunge ahead into a new year filled with its own possibilities and unexpected challenges, here are a few steps we can all take to care for ourselves in 2021.
On our panel: Texas Health Behavioral Health Center licensed professional counselor associate Leatha Nowlin; Southlake Psychiatric & Counseling Center co-founder William Goldman; Mental health nurse practitioner with Advanced Psychiatry DFW, Aaron Langford; Executive director of the Charis Behavioral Health Center, Angel Logan; Southlake Psychiatric & Counseling Center co-founder and mental health author Les Carter and CISD coordinator of counselors Tammy Pulse.
Q: Why is mental health so important?
William Goldman: The American Mental Health Foundation, using data from the World Health Organization, lists the top 10 diseases that lead to disability in developed countries. Of those top 10, eight are mental health disorders such as depression, alcohol and drug use, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. In addition to the disabling effects directly related to such behavioral health disorders, these disorders also negatively impact the burden of physical disorders and their management, such as heart disease and diabetes.
Angel Logan: An individual struggling with mental illness does not always wear their struggles on their sleeve. It is often the people we least expect who are actually struggling, and it is important to create safe spaces for people to express themselves.
Q: What can be the consequences of ignoring mental health?
Goldman: Consequences can range significantly from a sense of stress that impacts one’s day-to-day to functional disability in completing simple daily tasks and self-care to self-harm and suicide. The most common reasons that people seek social security disability are for mental health reasons.
Q: What physical issues can stem from a person’s mental well-being?
Logan: Mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression often manifest in physical symptoms such as an elevated heart rate, heaviness in the chest, gastrointestinal issues, headaches and more. Some significant physical responses may also include high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, insomnia and heart failure.
Aaron Langford: There are several causes of premature death that occur in all the major psychiatric disorders that I don’t think get enough attention. For example, individuals with schizophrenia potentially die 20-30 years earlier from cardiac disease, cancer, strokes or lung diseases. Individuals with bipolar disorder potentially have their lives shortened by 10-14 years particularly due to cardiovascular disease. ADHD has a 220% increased mortality rate across all age groups, primarily with accidents being the No. 1 cause of death.
Q: What are some of the largest hindrances you’ve seen to mental health?
Goldman: It is commonly — and wrongly — thought that having a mental health issue equates one to being cognitively, morally or emotionally impaired and weak, as well as being labeled with pejorative terms like ‘crazy’ and ‘lunatic’ that can carry the connotations of being devalued and dehumanized. These attitudes, in a painfully ironic way, serve only to marginalize and blame people with mental health concerns to the point that the affected do not readily seek proper medical treatment.
Leatha Nowlin: Affordability can be a hindrance in the mental health field. If a person has lost insurance or income due to loss of employment, their mental health needs may become less of a priority. Thankfully, there are many low-cost or sliding scale options for mental health services. Asking for a student or supervised clinician could be a viable option. Free resources in the community are often available from My Health My Resources Tarrant County, Psychology Today, Alcoholics Anonymous, ACH Services and The WARM Place, and speaking to a therapist about payment options can all make accessing affordable care manageable.
Q: What are some misconceptions about mental health?
Logan: Individuals are not able to turn their symptoms on and off. Understanding this allows us to treat the disorder and allow the individual to feel valued and not stigmatized about something that is outside of their control. Nowlin: Having a diagnosis is not a life sentence. Mental illness affects people of all races, genders, socioeconomic status, ages and religions. Some issues may be temporary depending on the situation you are in, which type of treatment you seek and how well you are supported. However, a more severe diagnosis can also be managed with proper treatment, medications and ongoing self-care. Mental health is the responsibility of everyone because it can affect anyone.
Langford: With there being more news of mass shootings across the U.S., I think an unfortunate misconception that gets propagated is that people with mental illnesses are dangerous or violent. More often than not, individuals who have mental health problems are the victims of violence and not perpetrators.
Q: How should we as a community normalize talking about mental health?
Nowlin: Mental health needs to start with awareness. We need to be teaching children at a young age about self-care, mindfulness, advocating for themselves and seeking proper treatment when needed. Adults can become involved in local support groups, talk to a mental health professional and stop stigmatizing mental illness.
Goldman: People should see the wide range of mental health disorders as being no more shameful and stigmatizing than talking about their asthma or arthritis. Mental disorders are brain-based illnesses at their very bottom, not dissimilar to migraine headaches or epilepsy. If people realized that one out of four people in the U.S. in any given year suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder, the hypocrisy of shame and stigma would diminish significantly.
Q: How did you see 2020’s stress affecting mental health?
Tammy Pulse: The stress of 2020 and COVID-19 has increased addiction, suicidal ideation, depression and anxiety. It has compromised the cognitive functioning of people in ways that has made it difficult for people to sustain attention and focus. Knowing that we are in a mental health crisis, I believe that educating people about mental health should be prioritized.
Logan: The abnormally high number of patients currently in behavioral health treatment is directly related to the stresses of 2020. Many individual therapists and hospitals have experienced an influx of new clients. Additionally, there has been an increase in anxiety-related socializing and being in social places, not only because of the fear of contracting the virus but also because individuals have adjusted to fewer interactions with smaller groups of people.
Q: How did COVID-19 reshape the mental health industry?
Les Carter: The pandemic has isolated our entire population in abnormal ways. We have had to get used to a different way of communicating. Many doctor appointments are now online. It can be effective, but it can also feel less personal. Also, the pandemic inhibits the public from finding positive outlets for stress relief. We can’t go to entertainment outings. Meals with friends and family have to be restricted. We can’t read each other’s facial features due to masks, and we can’t hug. We need positive connections as part of our overall well-being. All of this isolation increases the feeling of loneliness and emotional weariness.
Q: What is something you wish more people knew about mental health?
Goldman: That mental health disorders are very common — that many of your friends and neighbors are seeing mental health providers these days and that there are many things you can do that would make a positive impact on your own mental health issues.
Langford: About 20% of adults experience mental illness, yet people often suffer from distressing symptoms for an average of 11 years before seeking treatment. It does not have to be that way, and that starts with each of us making our own mental health a priority.
Q: What is a small step that a reader could take to improve their mental well-being?
Langford: There are so many small steps anyone can take that can have a positive impact on overall mental well-being. Meditating or sitting quietly for 15-20 minutes on a daily basis can really help foster a feeling of being grounded and tuned in to your internal state. Before you can do anything about your problems, there must be an understanding that such problems exist.
Carter: Stay connected as best as possible. For instance, Zoom happy hours are better than nothing at all. Stay in contact with those who are especially isolated like elderly parents or those with other physical limitations. Go outside. Exercise. Do activities at home that encourage pleasant engagement. Play games. Read books. Don’t overload on worrisome speculation. Be open. Share what you feel. When you notice another person’s anxiety, comment on it in an encouraging way.
Q: What would you advise readers to do to improve their mental health for the new year?
Logan: Many people recognized a significant reduction in stress during the quarantine. Families ate dinners together and played games together. Individuals learned new skills and engaged in hobbies. We were forced to reevaluate the manner in which we had been spending our time and what we valued. Prior to COVID-19, everyone’s schedule was full, and quality time was non-existent. In 2021, it will be important to continue the positive things that we learned about ourselves as individuals and as a community. Things such as self-care, recognizing community heroes and the importance of staying connected with loved ones are critical in improving mental well-being.