Our world is in a severe mental health crisis. The numbers are staggering!
(from https://www.nami.org/mhstats )
The National Alliance on Mental Health reports, on average, from the moment of first symptoms to being seen for a potential mental health problem is 11 years. 11 years!?! Just imagine doing these things for 11 years:
Walking around with a broken limb (arm, leg, hand, etc.)
Living with a hole in your roof
Driving around with only three wheels (no spare)
Flying around at 30,000 ft with no gas in the plane
Living 11 hours (let alone years) without your cell phone
That last one is a bit of a joke…but some of you reading that don’t think it’s funny! You’d go nuts if you lost your cell phone! But just imagine trying to survive without it. Now. Take a breath. And think about doing any of those other things for 11 hours…let alone 11 years. Yet, so many people are walking around with a broken mental condition, going untreated for over a decade. Indeed, any of us who walked by a home on a rainy day, with a family walking in and out of the house, placing their groceries inside, near dinner time, with a massive hole in their roof, would think, “Are you serious? Are you really going to live there with that hole in your roof?” Yet, we walk by people daily, feeding themselves and living a life with a massive hole in it due to a mental health condition. I’ve decided that I’m not walking by those people anymore.
I’m not a mental health therapist. I’m so grateful for people who have dedicated years to getting their master's degree (or beyond), doing the hard work of finding an internship, crushing it, getting their hours, becoming licensed, and starting their practice or employment at a hospital or clinic. However, some statistics average 3 -5 years before a therapist is fully released and ready to see clients. While 3 - 5 years is shorter than 11 years, which one of us would walk by that house with the hole in it 3 - 5 days, 3 - 5 times, without doing something about it. I’ve decided I can’t do it.
I see mental health coaching as a “paramedic” for mental health challenges. First responders do not diagnose patients at the scene of a crisis. But they do administer life-saving care, allowing other medical professionals to do what they do well. As a mental health coach, I won’t diagnose your issues. But I can help you right now with the immediate challenges you are facing while you wait to see one of those fantastic therapists. Just like a first responder, I refuse to walk by those needing critical care in their mental/emotional health.
(from https://www.nami.org/mhstats )
I know I can help, and I’ve done what I can to be qualified and confident to help. Now, I’m a Board Certified Master Mental Health Coach. I specialize in helping people with anxiety and depression connected to life and work challenges, but if you (or someone you love) fit into any of these categories and you have not seen a mental health professional yet - reach out to me. I can help you.
Feeling sad or withdrawn for more than two weeks
Seeing, hearing, or believing things “aren’t real”
Extreme difficulty with concentration or staying still
Out-of-control risk behaviors that cause harm to yourself or others
Intense worry or fear that interferes with daily activities
Drastic changes in mood, behavior, personality, or sleep patterns
U.S. Veteran dealing with challenges now that you are home (or you are their loved one)
Second Chance citizens finding difficulty adjusting back to life
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