May is mental health awareness month, and here at Choosing Therapy, we’ve rounded up several mental health topics we think are important to be talking about, this month and throughout the year.
1. Suicide Prevention
Hannah Hackworth, LCSW, MBA, Executive Director of Here Tomorrow shares, “We at Here Tomorrow exist to face the problem of suicide head-on and reimagine how we as communities can come together to solve it. Increased social isolation that is occurring as we continue to navigate through this pandemic is magnifying this problem and putting at-risk individuals at greater risk.
To change the trajectory, we need to connect with those who are most at-risk before it is too late. International suicide prevention expert Paul Quinnett advised, ‘For most people who get help, get professional help, where they can actually talk about the subject of suicide, the problems that seemed worth dying for a month ago don’t seem that way today,’ he said. ‘It’s the people we’re not talking to who are dying.’
When people are experiencing hopelessness and contemplating seeking professional help, what they need is someone to stand by them and embrace them where they are. When we honor this place and space within others and ourselves, we create a pathway to freedom and the journey forward becomes possible.”
2. Reacclimating After the Pandemic
Eric Patterson, LPC says, “After more than a year of anxiety, depression, uncertainty, and fear surrounding the pandemic and intense focus on keeping themselves and their loved ones safe, people are finding their re-emergence into the outside world uncomfortable. Although this discomfort is a natural and expected response to long-term stress, it can stand in the way of confidence and happiness, so people must push through.
For people who are vaccinated and low risk, stepping out of their comfort zone will be uncomfortable but necessary, since these behavioral changes are the best way to reduce anxiety and fear. Going to the mall, getting an ice cream, and attending a gathering of vaccinated people are simple actions that will produce wonderful results. Be sure to pair these behavioral interventions with positive and encouraging self-talk to complete the process. And if you have lingering feelings of anxiety or depression, talking to a licensed therapist can help.”
3. Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is a course designed to teach anyone the skills to identify and respond to signs of mental illnesses, substance use disorders, or a mental health crisis. According to MHFA, “Mental Health First Aiders are anyone who wants to make their community healthier, happier and safer for all.” Their goal is to make mental health first aid as common as CPR.
4. Telehealth Is Making Therapy Accessible & Affordable
Since the start of 2020, online therapy has become the “new normal,” with most therapists offering video or phone sessions, and even options to connect via chat and messaging. Early research shows that online therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions, while also offering people the ability to receive therapy from the comfort of their own homes.
This accessible option for mental health care is likely to stick around—with fewer limitations for care, multiple ways to connect to a therapist, expanded insurance coverage for online options, online therapy is here to stay. Learn more about finding an online therapist.
5. Telepsychiatry Makes It Easier Than Ever to Get Vital Medications
Elizabeth Corvino, Lead Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner at Minded says, “Telepsychiatry eliminates many of the pain points of a traditional psychiatric visit: calling to schedule an appointment, waiting weeks if not longer for an appointment, traveling to the appointment, and sitting in a waiting room. Through telepsychiatry, patients can adopt technology to simplify another aspect of their life without sacrificing quality of care.”
Kirsten Thompson, MD, Psychiatrist and Founder of Remedy Psychiatry states, “The increased accessibility and visibility of mental health care in the last year alone will hopefully further reduce the stigma of getting mental health care. On an individual level, as more people have access and feel better, they may be more apt to discuss their success and want to help friends and family by sharing their good experiences.
Additionally, as the pandemic has forced even tech-averse people to accept technology through telehealth, the tech industry is more aware of mental health and rapidly expanding offerings in a way that can reach many more people. Given that nearly 46% of Americans dealt with anxiety or depression in the last year, fairly close to the 64% of us that get a common cold each year, hopefully at one point, the stigma of mental health struggles will be as talked about, and readily treated, as the common cold.”
6. Racism & Mental Health
BIPOC, LatinX folks, and the AAPI community deal with feelings of hopelessness, emotional distress, and worry about their family’s safety, because of their race. Racism causes adverse and critical affects to the mental health of those affected, leads to increased symptoms of depression, stress, anxiety, and trauma, and can lead to low self-esteem.
Finding a therapist who can understand and identify with your concerns can be a great way to find healing. Learn more about how to find a Black therapist or a LatinX therapist.
7. LGBTQIA+ & Mental Health
Those in the LGBTQIA+ community face mental health issues at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. They face stressors such as homophobia and discrimination, family concerns, difficulty with coming out, and loneliness. Finding a therapist that is openly LGBTQ+ or specializes in LGBTQ+ issues can help validate a client’s experience and make them feel heard.
It is also vital to be an ally and advocate for those in the LGBTQIA+ community—learn more about supporting trans and gender nonconforming youth, or check out The Trevor Project for further resources.
8. Neurodiversity Education & Allyship
Lyric Holmans, neurodiversity consultant and educator, and founder of Neurodivergent Rebel shares, “As humans, we all need to be loved and accepted as we are—the whole person, strengths, and weaknesses. Historically, people with NeuroDivergent brains have been told they are broken. We’ve been told we need to try harder to be more like everyone else. We must find a way to fit ourselves into the NeuroTypical systems that modern society has created (without input from NeuroDivergent people).
NeuroDiversity challenges that narrative, asking that we flex and fix the broken systems—instead of blaming NeuroDivergent People for our inability to fit in. I’m not a broken NeuroTypical. I’m wholly NeuroDivergent.
Historically, the narrative around Autism (and many other NeuroDivergent brain types) has been carried by NeuroTypical People. This has been problematic because it’s pointed most of the advocacy, funding, and research around Autism to things non-Autistic people think Autistic People need, instead of focusing on the issues that matter to Autistic People. We need allies who listen to us and amplify our voices without speaking over us, allies to help us eliminate the narrative that NeuroDivergent people are broken NeuroTypical People, allies who empower us to live authentically NeuroDivergent lives.”
Learn more about neurodiversity or check out the Autistic Self Advocacy Network for more information.
Popular Choices For Online Therapy
BetterHelp – Best For Those “On A Budget”
Online-Therapy.com – Best For Multiple Sessions Per Week
According to 14 Best Therapy Services (updated on 1/16/2023), Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp and Online-Therapy.
9. Couples May Be Lonely, Overwhelmed, or Exhausted
Amy Sherman, MA, LMHC, comments on the issues couples have faced over the past year: “The pandemic put many couples in situations they didn’t have before the crisis started. Yes, both partners may have been working, raising kids and dealing with day-to-day challenges beforehand. But the pandemic caused couples to re-evaluate what it means to work virtually, be a first responder, home school and have nowhere to go to escape the stresses and strain of being together 24/7.
For many, boredom was a problem. For others, there was too much to do in a limited space. Poor communication, overwhelming stress, inability to pursue usual interests, lack of understanding and the buildup of resentments have taken a toll on couples in unique and challenging ways. If there is a common desire to improve things, couple’s counseling can help couples grow together, share new experiences, interact, engage and keep the romantic relationship intact and thriving.”
10. The Mental Health of College Students
Tanya Peterson, NCC, notes the unique challenges college students are facing: “The restrictions of the pandemic have presented unique and often extremely difficult challenges for college students because they have disrupted an important stage of development. College is a time when young adults are venturing into independence and discovering who they are at their core. The process of self-discovery and emergence into adulthood involves actively exploring interests and values and finding their own voice in the world. It requires social interactions and active participation in classes and activities. The pandemic, however, removed these opportunities for discovery and creation of new social networks and support systems. This has led to heightened anxiety, depression, and loneliness for many college students. For those already experiencing challenges such as social anxiety, the pandemic restrictions have added new difficulties.
One young man in his first year of college shared his experience: ‘COVID restrictions have made all things harder for everybody, but it is especially taking a toll in the short term and long term for those who struggle socially. The masks and lack of facial expression and interaction have made it very easy to isolate yourself when around other people and not feel inclined to smile or talk to anyone. In classrooms before, you had to sit very close to others and interact with them at some point, but now everyone feels like they are in their own world and it has become regular to feel alone. In the long term it will be even worse, because people who struggled before have been able to use COVID as a crutch to self-isolate, but when we are back to normal it is going to be much harder than before to connect and have social interactions. Any skills that people with social anxiety had developed are gone or near-gone by now, and recovering coping methods will be very difficult or impossible. Even for people who feel alone, any social anxieties make it feel impossible to have any normal human connection.'”
According to Matt Glowiak, PhD, LCPC, “In general, the pandemic has spawned a rise of mental health and substance use disorders that have arisen seemingly out of nowhere for many people. For those with low grade to moderate diagnosable conditions, they have been exacerbated. Therapy is helpful in that it normalizes the situation. Though the adversity experienced by each person differs, we are all in this together. In therapy, college students may have a platform to share openly while working with the therapist to develop and refine the critical life skills one may be missing without the traditional collegiate experience. Further, in the event of a college student experiencing a diagnosable mental health or substance use condition, the therapist may treat that as well. In either respect, the earlier one speaks with a professional, the more likely that the individual may resume normalcy and improve overall life satisfaction sooner than later.”
If you or a young adult in your life are dealing with mental health challenges, learn more about finding a therapist as a young adult.
11. The Importance of Mindfulness & Self-Care
As the pandemic has caused many of us excess stress and a variety of concerns, it’s more important than ever to be taking care of our bodies and our minds.
Elissa Epel, Phd, Professor, and Vice Chair of UCSF’s Psychiatry Department suggests, “Choose one small addition to your day (eg, 3 minutes of mindful breathing). Find a time to do it that clips it to an existing habit or ritual in your day (like waking up, brushing teeth, or walking the dog) and try to do it right after that. Set an alarm with a pretty tone as your reminder. When you forget, say kind things to yourself, remembering it’s hard to make a change. And try again tomorrow.”
Learn more about mindfulness, the importance of sleep, meditation, and how yoga can ease anxiety symptoms.
