WEST MICHIGAN — When a person gets pneumonia, they go to the doctor to get medicine for the illness. When someone develops diabetes, they learn good diet and exercise habits to improve blood sugar. Why don't we look at mental illness in the same emotionless and straightforward way?
Acute anxiety can function like a bad cold, and if ignored it can turn into a major life event. Depression is treatable if given attention. Mental health disorders change how brains work, and can set off emotional systems without logic, altering coping options and your perception.
Dr. Diana Bitner is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-founder of True. Women's Health, and she believes mental health awareness and treatment is essential for your wellness. Open dialogues and addressing concerns early can make all the difference.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it serves as an opportunity to learn about it and advocate against the social stigma behind it. It's a month to take a breath and recognize our biases towards people with depression, anxiety, OCD, or other mental health dysfunctions and have empathy for those who may be suffering.
Dr. Bitner says mental illness affects 19% of adults in the U.S. every year, and only 45% of people seek or receive treatment. 1 in 6 adolescents between 13-18 experience a serious mental health challenge in the next year.
Mental health goes beyond names and diagnoses and the explanation of brain chemicals and how the brain responds to stress. It's about the pain and stressors of your past, and how you were cared for or were able to heal from the trauma. Addressing mental health costs brain chemicals to cope with trauma, and sometimes medication isn't enough.
Dr. Bitner says when you can see a way to pull in all parts of your past, believe you deserve happiness, have support and ask for help when needed, that is a healthy journey forward. Treatment may include medications, but can benefit from healthy food, good sleep, daily exercise, counseling or therapies with light, sound or even animals.
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