Nanci Hutson
Special the BBNA German co-pilot deemed to be suffering from depression crashes a planeload of passengers into the Alps. A celebrity American comic genius beloved by millions succumbs to inner demons and hangs himself in a closet.
Mix those headliners with the beloved uncle home from war who laughs on the outside but is so traumatized by his memories he cannot stand to live another day. Or a teenage girl so distraught over her appearance she nearly starves to death.
All are human tales, people emotionally churning in silence because they are too afraid or ashamed to share their fractured reality with even those who love them most.
No more.
In the month of May, mental health professionals want to take a stand against the stigma of mental illness such that people don't suffer alone and lives are spared.
"Our goal for Mental Health Awareness Month is two-fold: its education and creation of dialogue around mental health issues,' declared Laura Norman, chief development and communication officer for the Western Yavapai County Guidance Clinic.
The clinic is hosting a series of lectures, workshops, movies, even a coloring contest for children, throughout the month to enlighten the public on various mental health issues.
"People think mental health is like a headache. But you can't just take a Tylenol. You are more complex than that. And medication is not the answer. It can be part of the answer,' said Dr. Elizabeth Caspian, a psychiatrist and resiliency coach who is the founder of the Center for Change LLC in Flagstaff.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a "beautiful thing' is because people are given permission to talk and ask questions about issues that often aren't talked about a backyard barbecues, Caspian said.
"The reason people do what they do, and why they suffer, is so complex. We cannot possibly reduce that to a label and a proper medication,' Caspian said.
Health Choice Integrated Care Communications Director Heidi Fuller in Flagstaff concurs that stigma-reduction is a key focus. Most people suffer at one time or another from anxiety, stress or depression, but it is in the degrees that can shift one from mentally healthy to mentally ill, she and other said. Part of the educational effort is to assure a mental illness need not inhibit one's ability to thrive in life, and that those with such illnesses need not be feared but rather embraced, she said.
"Many times mental illness is invisible, and so not understood,' said Tina Blake, West Yavapai Guidance Clinic's development coordinator. "People suffer from mental illness daily, and we are here to be encouragers, and to reach out a hand to make a difference. For those who suffer from mental illness, of for those who care about someone with a mental illness, it can be very lonely.'
Caspian knows brain science, and can speak with expertise about the three areas of the brain that control survival instincts, status issues and creativity and control.
But more than scientific facts, figures and methodology, Caspian wants to convey that everyone in society has a role to play in removing stigma so that every person is valued for their own unique essence.
"Instead of oversimplification, we need to embrace the nuance of what it is to be human. And we all struggle. Everybody does. When we can talk about it, like we talk about heart attacks and like we talk about diabetes, or any other form of human suffering, we help people heal and that saves lives.'
Follow Nanci Hutson Twitter@HutsonNanci
Special the BBNA German co-pilot deemed to be suffering from depression crashes a planeload of passengers into the Alps. A celebrity American comic genius beloved by millions succumbs to inner demons and hangs himself in a closet.
Mix those headliners with the beloved uncle home from war who laughs on the outside but is so traumatized by his memories he cannot stand to live another day. Or a teenage girl so distraught over her appearance she nearly starves to death.
All are human tales, people emotionally churning in silence because they are too afraid or ashamed to share their fractured reality with even those who love them most.
No more.
In the month of May, mental health professionals want to take a stand against the stigma of mental illness such that people don't suffer alone and lives are spared.
"Our goal for Mental Health Awareness Month is two-fold: its education and creation of dialogue around mental health issues,' declared Laura Norman, chief development and communication officer for the Western Yavapai County Guidance Clinic.
The clinic is hosting a series of lectures, workshops, movies, even a coloring contest for children, throughout the month to enlighten the public on various mental health issues.
"People think mental health is like a headache. But you can't just take a Tylenol. You are more complex than that. And medication is not the answer. It can be part of the answer,' said Dr. Elizabeth Caspian, a psychiatrist and resiliency coach who is the founder of the Center for Change LLC in Flagstaff.
Mental Health Awareness Month is a "beautiful thing' is because people are given permission to talk and ask questions about issues that often aren't talked about a backyard barbecues, Caspian said.
"The reason people do what they do, and why they suffer, is so complex. We cannot possibly reduce that to a label and a proper medication,' Caspian said.
Health Choice Integrated Care Communications Director Heidi Fuller in Flagstaff concurs that stigma-reduction is a key focus. Most people suffer at one time or another from anxiety, stress or depression, but it is in the degrees that can shift one from mentally healthy to mentally ill, she and other said. Part of the educational effort is to assure a mental illness need not inhibit one's ability to thrive in life, and that those with such illnesses need not be feared but rather embraced, she said.
"Many times mental illness is invisible, and so not understood,' said Tina Blake, West Yavapai Guidance Clinic's development coordinator. "People suffer from mental illness daily, and we are here to be encouragers, and to reach out a hand to make a difference. For those who suffer from mental illness, of for those who care about someone with a mental illness, it can be very lonely.'
Caspian knows brain science, and can speak with expertise about the three areas of the brain that control survival instincts, status issues and creativity and control.
But more than scientific facts, figures and methodology, Caspian wants to convey that everyone in society has a role to play in removing stigma so that every person is valued for their own unique essence.
"Instead of oversimplification, we need to embrace the nuance of what it is to be human. And we all struggle. Everybody does. When we can talk about it, like we talk about heart attacks and like we talk about diabetes, or any other form of human suffering, we help people heal and that saves lives.'
Follow Nanci Hutson Twitter@HutsonNanci
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