Mental Health Awareness Month

 

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All information was found via Mentalhealth.org and hand drawn using Procreate on IPad. Thought not all hotlines and numbers for resources were listed, they are a start for getting people to think about their friends, family, and themselves. 

Making Mental Health Resources Known

 

Mental Health Resources For All

Do you or your friends, family, or loved ones know where and how to find the mental health resources that you might need? And if so, how did you find out about those resources? 

It may come to shock some but mental health resources aren’t always advertised as much as they should be. But why? As previously stated in my previous uploads, mental health resources are almost usually impacted by the lack of funding necessary to advertise them to the public. Those who know about those resources or have access to them will often not use them as they feel they don’t need to seek help. But what about those people who actively don’t know about the resources available to them?

Keeping It Short & Lending A Helping Hand

The purpose of this post is to make a listing of sources that are accessible nationwide for individuals struggling with mental health or for people to share them with those who may need them in the long run. Most people may not be aware of the different types of resources given in a variety of ways and that not all of them require leaving your house if transportation is an issue. Some resource methods include phone, online, and in-person services. 

If you or a loved one is in need of the following resources, please let their resources be known to them. It is better to reach out now before it’s too late. Be the difference, make a difference. 

US Available Resources Over The Phone/Online:

• 988 Mental Health Emergency Hotline (updated number since 2022): Call 988 and it will connect you to a crisis counselor regardless of your location in the United States. 
• 911 Emergency: Call 911 for any type of medical or life-or-death emergency. 
• National Alliance on Mental Illness(NAMI): Available M-F 10am-10pm ET Call 1-800-950-NAMI or text HELPLINE to 62640. 
• Disaster Distress Helpline: Free & Multilingual. Call or text 1-800-985-5990
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-Talk (1-800-273-8255) or call 988 or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org 
• Crisis Text Line: Text REASON to 741741. Calls available in English AND Spanish 
• Self Harm Hotline: Call 1-800-DONT-CUT (1-800-366-8288)
• The Trans Lifeline: Call 1-877-565-8860. Staffed by transgender people for transgender people. 
• International Suicide Prevention Directory: findahelpline.com
• Veterans Crisis Line: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net 
• Psychologist Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us.therapists
• GoodTherapy.org: https://www.goodtherapy.org/find-therapist.html
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration(SAMHSA):Call 1-800-662-HELP (1-800-662-4357)
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): http://www.hrsa.gov Find information on finding affordable healthcare, including health centers that offer care on a sliding fee scale. 
• Anxiety and Depression Association of America: https://members.adaa.org/page/FATMain
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: https://www.dbsalliance.org/wellness/treatment-options/finding-a-health-care-provider/ 
• Mental Health America: https://www.mhanational.org/finding-therapy 
• National Alliance of Mental Illness: https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Individuals-with-Mental-Illness/Finding-a-Mental-Health-Professional 

Why It Matters & How You Can Help 

As previously stated, it is important to allow yourself and those around you to know about what resources are available. For this blog, the main purpose was to allow for people to know what is available but also for those who come across this page to also comment other resources they might know. I was able to provide a list of resources but as a community, let us expand our list. As a society, we must do what is possible to lend each other a helping hand. Comment below any available resources you might know and any helpful links. We can help everyone! 

You Are Not Alone: Mental Health For All

 

Mental Health Has No Race

One may assume that mental health is something that is limited to only affecting a targeted group of individuals; however, that is not the case. Mental Health issues do not limit themselves to challenging a select group of individuals but can impact many different people. 

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by the age of 14 and 75% begins by the age of 24. These are two relatively notable instances as both ages typically mark different landmark changes in human life. The age of 14 signals the typical start for an adolescent to start high school and the age of 24 signals the shift for most college students to shift from graduation to working in the “real world”. 

The Breakdown Of Different Demographics 

Percentage of Mental Illness For All US Adults 

According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), the demographic with the most reported mental illness issues are white adults reporting 22% of all US adults followed closely by American Indians and Alaskan Native adults who report around 19% and Hispanic/LatinX Adults with 18%. The latter half of the spectrum contains Pacific Islanders and Black adults at 17% and Asians at the bottom of the list with 14%. 

Anxiety Attacks All

The largest percentage of mental illness is reported to be found in those who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community with around 44% of any mental illness. But why? Quite a bit of this stems from the fact that as an ever-changing society, not everyone is as welcoming and open to accepting new things or things that are different. One of the highest reported mental illnesses affecting any group of people is anxiety which, according to NAMI, makes up about 19% of all mental health issues reported in the United States. Though the percentage is less than a fifth of the total population, it is the highest reported mental health illness with many others following shortly after. Members of the LGBTQ+ community are faced with triggers for anxiety such as fear of being themselves, being able to truly express themselves, and the possibility of being shunned by not only their families but society as a whole. 

Following anxiety is depression as being the second highest reported mental illness alongside PTSD following shortly after. 

Most Common Mental Illnesses in US Adults

Where Do We Stand?

Though one can assume these numbers represent all Americans, the truth stands in the fact that not all Americans will seek out a professional diagnosis or seek out resources that are available to them because they either feel as though they themselves are the problem, or the resourced just aren’t there for them to be offered and help them. This is a common problem found in the US as a whole. 

If you know someone who could be suffering from any mental health issues or are at risk of harming themselves, please assist them and guide them to understanding their situation and offering the resources available. 

Attached is a link to a list of all available resources for those who may be suffering, are at risk, or need any form of assistance. Protect the ones you love. 

Mental Health Should be Accessible Health, GA vs. the Nation

Photo by Dan Meyers via unsplash

What Does Accessibility Mean?

What does it mean for something to be accessible? Does it mean that whatever it is should be available to those whoever has money? Those who live in areas with more income? Or should it be in all areas? Even the areas that are considered lower class? 

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the word “accessible” means capable of being reached, being within reach, and available(“accessible”). In other words, accessible simply means being easy to come by and available to those who need it. 

With this being said, one would naturally assume that for something to be accessible, it should be available throughout an area and also for the people to know that they have this resource as an option for them to use. 

Now I must ask, in the state of Georgia, where are your mental health resources in your county? 

Can you readily name these resources off the top of your head or would you have to look up online where the closest resource is? If you did have to look up your resources, did you notice that the resources in the state of Georgia are scarce? Does this come to you as a surprise or not?

This is the reality of the state of Georgia as we are ranked as one of the lowest states to have access to mental health resources throughout the nation. 

On the Spectrum:

Mental Health America released the data from 2022 relating to which states have the most reports of mental health issues among adults, youths, and then the accessibility the state has for its citizens to necessary resources. 

The following chart demonstrates the states and their access to resources with the lighter states having the most access to necessary resources and the darker states having the least amount of access to resources. 

2022 State Access to Mental Health Resources via Mental Health America

As it can be seen from the distribution of colors on the map, the south is the most abundant area of darker colors specifically the Southeast. The state with the most access to resources is the state of Vermont while Texas is ranked as the lowest state with resources. 

The state of Georgia is ranked as being the 48th state according to the 2022 study. The way that Mental Health America has ranked the accessibility that the states have is via access to insurance, treatment, quality, and cost of insurance. The map indicates those who have any mental illness did not receive treatment and those who have a mental illness and are not insured amongst other factors. The national map does not limit it to adults but also includes youths with mental illness. 

The following list comes directly from Mental Health America as the means of measure for the map. 

Mental Health America List of Measuring Access to Resources.

What Does This Mean: 

In the larger sense, this means that compared to other states, the state of Georgia is way behind in providing its civilians with adequate and necessary resources in order for any individual suffering from mental health issues to prosper. 

This could have a lot to do with the state's lack of federal funds to support these resources, the lack of professionals in the field to provide these services, or other external factors such as those who do not have the insurance to cover the costs or healthcare. This could also go back to the word “accessibility” as things such as healthcare resources should be available to ALL civilians no matter the income of the person. We are all human!  

Links:

Mental Health America: https://mhanational.org/issues/2022/ranking-states

Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/s/photos/mental-health 

Confused All The Time

Suggested ALT text tag: Dog with a confused look on their face with text reading "after reading an entire chapter and still not knowing what's going on”. 

 The meme I decided to make for the assignment this week resonated most with me. As an English major, one would assume I would be able to read with a purpose of knowing how to productively read any document. That is not always the case. Sometimes I will find myself reading a page, two pages, or even an entire chapter under the assumption that I know what I just read. In reality, when I try to move on to the following chapter I am more lost than I was trying to read the previous chapter. It might be because my mind begins to wonder mid-chapter but I will always find myself trying to figure out if I read to read or read for understanding. Ultimately, I always look somewhat confused in any situation, whether I’m reading or not. I resonate with this image of a friend’s dog I took because I felt this look on a whole other level. His name is Canelo and he is 100% my spirit animal.

Love UR Cell-F Remix

Attached is the Photo Remix Assignment for module 5. This assignment took a lot of thinking and trying to make something that seemed to make sense. I hope I was able to capture some sort of positive message using various images! Also, I think it becomes apparent that it is my duty to try and squeeze in the group that made me want to love myself more than I knew I could.

Existencially yours,

Spotify Play Measure For Measure Playlist

 Playlist for Everything

Measure for Measure Cover

In trying to find a sole audio that might be used for various moments in the play to back up my rationale on whether Isabella should choose to side with the church or side with marrying the duke, I just so happened to be listening to music and found lyrics from various songs that could serve as a way to demonstrate what choice Isabella would make. I know that the songs are all in Korean, but I have provided the lyric videos and time stamps for your convenience! 

Indecisive Isabella

Depiction of Isabella

The character of Isabella in Measure for Measure was unlike any female 

protagonist at the time.  She was a character that stood her ground for most of 

the play until the final moments in which the spotlight was taken away from 

her and she remained silent for the latter half of the final acts, even after 

being proposed to by the duke. 

What choice would she make? 

That is something we as readers never received a solid answer to but it may be evident in her previous actions. 

Only Desire

 From our initial introduction to the character of Isabella, we are presented with a woman who is determined and committed to becoming a nun. In fact, the first lines Isabella speaks are “And have you nuns no farther privileges?” (Shakespeare 1.4. 1) . Shakespeare elaborates further on her character with Isabella stating, “Yes, truly. I speak not as desiring more, but rather wishing for more strict restraint upon 

the sisterhood, the votarists of Saint Clare” (Shakespeare 1.4 3-5). Isabella is the definition of virtue in her

 introduction.

If a song were needed to demonstrate Isabella’s character now, it would be Ateez's Desire that would fit best, specifically, the pre-chorus where the lyrics read:

 “That’s the reason I can breathe, I  can’t hold it in anymore, Oh I can’t help it myself 

yeah. The desire towards you is so selfish”

Isabella is set on becoming a part of the church and honoring its responsibilities but what might seem like 

a good choice for her would soon turn into her looking selfish later in the play. 

The line “The desire towards you is so selfish”(Ateez) serves as an allusion to the instance where Isabella 

is faced with choosing her virtue or her brother’s life where perhaps Claudio might have viewed her as 

selfish for choosing herself over her brother's life.

Can’t You See Me As I Am

One of the play's most prominent scenes was when Angelo taunts Isabella because it is her word against his. The word of a woman against that of a man. Angelo argues,

 “Who will believe thee, Isabel? My unsoiled name, th’ austereness of my life, my vouch against you, and my place I’th’ state” (Shakespeare 2.4 154-156)

Angelo is using his position in society over Isabella, saying whatever she has to argue would be meaningless in which Isabella opens her monologue by inquiring 

“Who would believe me? O perilous mouths” (Shakespeare 2.4 171)

She feels defeated at this point in the play and unheard and knows it is a risky approach to even challenge Angelo’s authority. 

Tomorrow x Together's song Can’t You See Me fits well because those lines in the song discuss not being seen and feeling trapped with nowhere to turn to. In this scene, Isabella is feeling the pressures of what 

being a woman in her society is like, she has no say unless she can find an authoritative figure that will 

make her be seen but for now, like TXT says, 

“My heart is heavy because you don’t understand me” (Tomorrow X Together)

Light A Flame 

Distraught, Isabella finds help in the form of the friar who tells her that Angelo was once betrothed to Marianna. The duke devises a plan in which Isabella will agree to have relations with Angelo but will actually be sleeping with Marianna. 

However, for this portion of the play, Seventeen's Light A Flame felt the most fitting, especially the line 

“We look at the light as we search for one another, our shadows meet to become one" (Seventeen)

An Uncomfortable Isabella with Angelo 

 Of course, owning a physical candle was hard to come by during this time, but metaphorically, Isabella and Angelo would become one under his eyes even though it was Marianna.

The title of the song felt fitting because we can see as

 readers that in the end, Isabella was able to preserve 

her innocence but at the hands of almost sacrificing 

Angelo. However, as readers, we know that Angelo 

was the one playing with fire from the get-go. 

Bring the Pain On

One of Isabella’s final words spoken was her seeking for the duke to pardon Angelo by pleading to the Duke,

 “A due sincerity governed his deeds. Till he did look on me. Since it is so, let him not die” (Shakespeare 5.1 449-451).

For the sake of Mariana, she pleads for Angelo to be pardoned so Mariana does not become a widow and instead becomes a wife. However, the Duke believes in marrying the two then her virtue will be honored, and she will have the opportunity to seek out a better husband after Angelo’s death. 

The duke then proceeds to propose to Isabella, but we never hear from her character again and if she agrees but like many say, silence speaks louder than words.

In choosing to be silent, she is silently denying the duke’s proposal and will most likely seek out the nunnery in the end. A once prominent character will now be able to do as she pleases. 

For this final scene, BTS’ ON felt to fit the ending, Isabella can stand her ground no matter what challenges her. One line of the song reads 

“Can’t hold me down cuz you know I’m a fighter, the beautiful prison I step into with my own feet, bring the pain on” (BTS)

Isabella is ready to tackle her new life no matter how many people may challenge her because of her

 decisions, she was strong from the start and will choose her destiny, remaining as single as a Pringle.