(Howard, SD) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Wear green to show your support for those struggling with depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns.
Sometimes life gets a little too much. If you need help working through things you’ve been dealing with on your own, contact a Horizon Health provider today. Our Behavioral Health team is ready to help.
Green represents renewal, growth, and strength. By wearing green, you create a sense of solidarity that reduces the traditional stigma against receiving care for mental health issues, sparks conversation about ways to treat mental health, and promotes a sense of hope that tomorrow can be a better day.
Horizon Health patient Seth found assistance maintaining his sobriety and managing behavioral health issues thanks to his provider and Horizon support staff.
“I’d be in big trouble right now if they didn’t help me,” he said. “They’ve just been massively supportive to me about my sobriety and getting my health back.”
Statistics on mental health in the United States show a need for more awareness and access to care.
- A quarter of adults in the United States are living with some type of mental health issue.
- 4% of adults are diagnosed with major depression according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
- 1% of adults experience anxiety disorders.
- One in five children in the United States have a mental, emotional, or behavioral disorder.
- 90% of Americans think the country is in a mental health crisis.
Barriers to care for individuals include access to providers – there is currently a drastic global need for more behavioral health providers. Patients may internalize traditional stigmas thinking it will go away on its own. They may feel guilty that they can’t fix the situation themselves or don’t believe treatment will be effective. Mental health treatment is incredibly effective with 70-90% of individuals in treatment experiencing a significant reduction in their symptoms and improved quality of life. These encouraging results are typically achieved with a combination of therapy and medication. People in therapy often function better than 75-79% of those who are untreated.
Dakota Mora is a Horizon Health patient who benefited from a provider-assisted path through addiction. She was successful using a combination of medications, counseling, and behavioral health treatments. Those tactics helped her move forward with her sobriety and to get her children back. Horizon was there for Dakota through all the stages of her journey to better health.
“My whole personality is different,” Dakota said. “I’m a mom now. I sit down and read books with my kids.”
Horizon Health behavioral health providers believe the best approach is treating the body and mind with a focus on patient-centered care. This includes treating mental health, substance abuse, life crises or stress-related symptoms our patients experience. We provide support for individuals, groups and families at 19 community health center locations throughout South Dakota. We currently have eight providers on staff to treat:
- Addiction
- Anger management
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood concerns
- Panic
- Sleep issues
- Stress
- Medication Management
- Maternal Mental Health
Patients are referred to our behavioral health team from trusted primary care providers. Treatment can be in clinic or the comfort of their own homes, protecting their privacy, and allowing them to receive treatment in an atmosphere where they feel secure.
Overall, treating mental health issues can improve quality of life. If you or someone you love needs a helping hand dealing with behavioral health issues, contact your local Horizon Health clinic today to take that first step toward positive change.