Let's all be smart about addressing mental health issues

EDITOR’S NOTE: This editorial includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, Wyoming’s Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.

It feels appropriate to start any discussion of mental health with some good news: In the past five years, an increased awareness of the need to pay attention to our mental health has helped reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with seeking treatment.

Syracuse University psychology professor Kevin Antshel said in late 2022 that this is “one of the few positive derivatives of the COVID-19 pandemic.” Not only were many more people experiencing anxiety, depression and other mental health problems caused by the early months of isolation and fear, they also encountered many others facing the same issues. That increased contact led to more empathy and less judgment of the need for professional help.

Of course, that doesn’t mean stigma has been eradicated and discrimination doesn’t still happen against people with conditions ranging from depression to schizophrenia. Which is why, not only during this National Mental Health Awareness Month, but year-round, we all need to pay close attention to both our own mental well-being and that of those around us.

Which leads to more good news: The effort to increase education about mental health issues and reduce stigma is ongoing, and it includes some high-profile people in American culture. Popular musicians like Jelly Roll, Billie Eilish, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar and dozens of others have openly shared their struggles with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and more. Other celebrities, such as Emma Stone, Dwayne Johnson, Ariana Grande and Halle Berry have joined them.

Here in Cheyenne, popular country singer Garth Brooks was the face of the 2022 Pick Up Man Initiative at the “Daddy of ‘em All” rodeo that advised attendees to “be that pickup man for somebody, or reach out for that pickup man, if you need it.” (For those who don’t know, pickup men are the cowboys who ride alongside rodeo competitors and help get them out of harm’s way and out of the arena after roughstock rides. For more, visit cfdrodeo.com/2022/07/pick-up-man-initiative-combats-suicide.)

As Mr. Brooks said in the video, the lifestyle of many in the West can be isolating, which often results in a higher rate of suicide. It’s important to remember that if you struggle with any type of mental illness, you’re not alone. The key question is “Are you getting the professional help you need?”

If not, there are several places you can start, regardless of your income or whether you have health insurance. Local facilities like Crossroads Healthcare Clinic, HealthWorks and Cheyenne Laramie County Public Health have providers who can diagnose and direct treatment options at little or no cost.

For those with insurance, there are even more options, ranging from the walk-in LIV Health mental health urgent care clinic to Cheyenne Regional Behavioral Health, Volunteers of America Northern Rockies and a variety of private therapy offices. An appointment with your primary care physician can get you a referral to one of these specialists, as well as medication that can help.

Another important question is “Do you have a good support system, in the form of family, friends, co-workers, etc.?” If so, don’t be afraid to open up to them, let them know what you’re dealing with and how they can help. If not, seek out one of the many local groups that offer a community.

One of the best is a church, synagogue or other faith community, where the pastor and congregation offer an extended family. Most of these like-minded folks understand the struggles we all go through and how a spiritual foundation can help us through a whole host of challenges.

There are also many community programs and activities related to mental health offered by a variety of groups. A recent one, called Healing Through Writing, was held at the Laramie County Library, and offered participants a chance to work through issues by writing about them.

Online resources are abundant, too. A good place to get started is “Love, Your Mind” (loveyourmindtoday.org). This campaign from Huntsman Mental Health Institute and the Ad Council, offers “inspiration, community and educational resources” to help people be as proactive as possible about caring for their mental health.

Young people are being positively impacted by the Jae Foundation, which, just last fall, gave new cowboy boots to 4,000 Wyoming and Idaho high school seniors. The boots are a launching point for a “boot-check” conversation between students about mental health awareness, suicide prevention and resilience.

Of course, at the same time we’re addressing immediate mental health needs, we also must address the underlying causes. Issues such as poverty, substance abuse, domestic violence and more often are the roots that must be dug up and destroyed in order to resolve the problem.

All of these efforts and many others are essential if Wyoming is to continue to reduce its once worst-in-the-nation per-capita suicide rate. It’s critical that we continue to break down stigmas about the need for mental health care. We have to turn “scary” situations into “normal ... and manageable” ones.

As Garth Brooks said in the Pick Up Man video, when we ask for help, “It’s not showing weakness. It’s showing strength, and it’s showing courage, and it’s showing smarts.” Let’s all be smart — this month and every month to follow — about mental health.

BREAKOUT BOX:

If you or someone you know is in crisis

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of harming themselves, call 911.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts:

Call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline)

Chat online at 988lifeline.org

Text WYO to 741-741

All of these services operate 24/7.

Local mental health providers can be found at health.wyo.gov/behavioralhealth/mhsa/treatment/cmhc.

For information about suicide prevention in Wyoming, visit health.wyo.gov/publichealth/prevention/wivpp/suicide-prevention.

More information is available on the Suicide Prevention Resource Center website at sprc.org/states/wyoming.