We must all take care of our mental health

By Hank Debnam

Cumberland County Mental Health Director
Fayetteville, NC

Every year, for more than 50 years, the National Mental Health Association has sponsored Mental Health Awareness Month in May. This year's theme is "MIND Your Health." It's an opportunity for mental health organizations across the country to band together to promote awareness and to emphasize the importance of good mental health. This year, as our country and community face greater challenges than ever before, it is particularly important for us to remember to take care of our mental health.

At the Cumberland County Mental Health Center, our primary focus has been assisting individuals in our community with staying mentally healthy. Preventing problems is always a more successful and cost-effective approach than treating individuals in crisis.

The services we have offered since 1969 have covered the continuum, but what many people in this community may not realize is that we reach more individuals through prevention, education and outreach services than we will ever see for direct services, such as counseling, outpatient psychiatric treatment, residential services or hospitalization. In an average year, more than 60 percent of the individuals we assist are helped through prevention, education or outreach-related services.

One example of our commitment to preventing problems is the "System of Care" philosophy we use in working with children and families. By surrounding families with resources and support, we can reduce the number of out-of-home placements or hospitalizations. Cumberland County Mental Health has one of the lowest inpatient hospital utilization rates in the state. Assisting people before they need help by providing information, resources and support is the better choice.

Good mental health is important to everyone and everyone can play a role in keeping this community mentally healthy. Good mental health is more than the absence of mental illness. Mental health is a state of well-being, characterized by continuing personal growth, a sense of purpose in life, self-acceptance and positive relationships with others. Caring for our minds, as well as our bodies, is good for overall health and key to our success at home, at work and at school.

What can you do? You can make a personal commitment to lead a mentally healthy life. Research has identified a number of ways you can handle stress to accomplish this. According to the National Mental Health Association, things that will help include:

·  Exercise: 30 minutes of exercise a day helps both mind and body. Recent studies show that regular exercise can greatly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders.

·  Don't try to be superman/superwoman: No one is perfect, so don't expect perfection from yourself.

·  Have a hobby: Take a break and do something you enjoy.

·  Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Get adequate rest, eat right, limit your caffeine and balance work and play.

·  Share your feelings: Don't try to cope with difficult times alone.

·  Be flexible! Be prepared to make allowances for other people's opinions and to compromise.

If an individual does experience mental health problems, it is also important to know that help and hope are available. One in five Americans will experience a mental health disorder in any given year. Unfortunately, many people let shame or lack of information keep them from seeking the help they need, even though, with the right treatment and support, individuals can and do recover.

As we implement North Carolina's mental health reform, some of the responsibilities of the Cumberland County Mental Health Center will significantly change, but we will continue to work to see that resources are available to assist individuals in maintaining good mental health. Our award-winning Consumer and Family Advisory Committee has already been so active and effective in sharing information with the community that we now refer to its members as our "Missionaries of Mental Health."

The bottom line is, everyone benefits from staying - or seeking the help to become - mentally healthy. Remember to "Mind Your Health"! (For more information about mental health and mental health resources, visit our Web site at www.ccmentalhealth.org.)

Hank Debnam is area director of the Cumberland County Mental Health Center.