The Reality of Mental Health Struggles
What comes to mind when you hear the term mental health struggles? Do you see a teenager who doesn’t quite fit in with the crowds at school? How about a young man that can’t seem to kick his addiction? Society has put labels on mental health struggles that deem them only available to people who outwardly look like life gave them the short end of the stick. The reality of mental health struggles is that they do not discriminate.
Mental Illness is Common
More than 50% of the population will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder in their lifetime. Data from the CDC has also shown that 1 in 25 Americans live with a serious mental disorder such as bipolar or schizophrenia. There is no one cause for mental illness. Trauma, abuse, and poor physical health can lead to mental illness, but individuals respond to their circumstances differently. For example, there are two people in the same situation: Both people have a mentally draining workload and poor management. Person A increases their self-care and chooses to find a different job. Person B continues to work with the same company and begins to struggle with work-related anxiety. While these people experienced the same situation, the outcomes were different because as individuals we have different tolerance levels for trauma. How do we combat the likelihood of such an occurrence? In order to help people with their mental health struggles, a bigger emphasis needs to be placed on the importance of the field of mental health.
Societal Increase in Suicide
Unfortunately in recent years, there has been an increased number of people who have both attempted and committed suicide. September is suicide awareness month, but we believe that suicide prevention should be emphasized year-round. There are steps that the population as a whole can take to decrease suicide statistics. We can educate ourselves on the risk factors, check in on our friends, and be knowledgeable about resources for mental health. Mental health doesn’t care how much money you have, your skin color, your religion, or anything else about you. Be proactive with your mental health and be mindful of your loved ones!
Suicide Prevention
A big issue that society is facing is there is a large portion of people who do not recognize signs of mental health struggles, nor do they know of professional mental health resources. One resource that we always recommend is the National Suicide Hotline - 1-800-273-8255. Professionals are available on the hotline 24-7. Other resources for mental health interventions include treatment centers, ketamine clinics, grief-sharing groups, and counseling. At Aspen Ketamine Center we work hard to find what works best for each of our clients. We have a number of beneficial mental health services on-site to help you find long-term solutions to your mental health problems. We believe that by taking action on our mind-body-spirit and optimizing these things, people can better avoid crises. People experiencing a crisis should contact The Hope Center in Aspen. They work closely with people with suicidal tendencies and have crisis workers available.
NAD+ Infusions
If you’re familiar with our practice, then you probably noticed that we recently started offering NAD+ infusions at our clinic. NAD+ infusions, administered by a slow-drip IV, are an asset to mental health recovery. They stimulate DNA repair and improve cellular communication throughout the body. It does so by converting the energy we get from food into cellular energy. You can read more about NAD+ infusions in our other article.
The reality of mental health struggles is that at some point in your life, you will likely face them. Be proactive with your self-care and open to professional intervention to help you achieve optimal mental wellness. Let’s all join together to overturn the stigma around talking about mental health.