In times of crisis, it’s especially important to look after your mental health as well as physical. Studies show that one in five adults experiences mental illness, yet less than half receive the support they need. Many individuals do not seek mental health treatment because of a lack of resources or the feared stigma attached to mental illness.
Stay in Touch with Your Feelings and Talk about Them
The social distancing that our community is practicing due to the Coronavirus can lead to increased feelings of fear, anxiety, depression, boredom, anger, frustration and irritability — especially if you are sick or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. Learn to recognize these feelings and, if you’re experiencing them, reach out to family, friends or other people in your support network or a trained professional to talk about what’s bothering you. Getting those emotions out in the open, and receiving feedback from someone you trust, is almost always helpful.
United Way of Central Alabama Is Starting the Conversation
Through localized partnerships, United Way aims to start the conversation about mental health in Central Alabama. By providing access to quality, affordable healthcare, United Way’s partner agencies ensure that our communities have the mental health resources readily available. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, depressed, suicidal or dealing with other mental health challenges, one of the following programs may provide the help you need:
- Collat Jewish Family Services is offering free supportive counseling via phone call to both to clients and the greater community.
- Impact Family Counseling’s teletherapy is priced on a sliding scale based on income, making quality mental health services available to all.
- The Crisis Center has put together a coping guide and has compiled a list of hotlines for the most pressing mental health needs.
- Disabilities Rights & Resources has a Mental Health Resources page, as well as a variety of other resource listings.
These and other programs are vital to ensuring that we cope with the Coronavirus environment constructively and emerge on the other side with healthy bodies and minds. You can support these programs by donating to UWCA’s Community Crisis Fund.