May is Mental Health Awareness Month in America, and while many people think of mental health as something someone else suffers from, the truth is that most of us have, or will, have suffered from at least one mental health issue at some point in our lives become.
Adjustment disorders, as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, are one of the most common reasons a person makes an appointment with a therapist or counselor. An adjustment disorder basically means you have trouble adjusting to a situation and this leads to increased or uncontrollable stress. A person may be diagnosed with adjustment disorder when they are having trouble adjusting to a move, new job, breakup, marriage, new school situation, legal issues, financial problems, “empty nest syndrome,” etc .
Criteria for diagnosing adjustment disorder include major life stressors, symptoms, and an impairment in functioning. According to the DSM-5-TR, the criterion consists of “having emotional or behavioral symptoms within the first three months after a specific stressor; experience more stress than would normally be expected and/or have stress that causes problems of meaning in your relationships, at work, or at school; and the symptoms are not the result of another mental disorder or part of normal grief.”
There are six different types of adjustment disorders. You suffer from depressed mood, anxiety, mixed anxiety and depressed mood, conduct disorder, mixed emotional and behavioral disorder and are unspecified. Treatment adjustment disorders usually involve psychotherapy and occasionally medication.
Another common reason people seek mental health help is generalized anxiety or depression. The rate of anxiety disorders in the United States is currently about 27% of the population, while depression is 4.7%. Both diseases saw huge increases in the days, weeks and months following the global pandemic.
Although mental health is often viewed with a stigma, numerous celebrities, like my personal favorite Dwyane “The Rock” Johnson, have spoken out about their own personal struggles. Johnson, who is 1.9 meters tall and weighs more than 110 kilograms, has no problem admitting that he has struggled with at least two bouts of depression in his lifetime. Johnson also opens up about his mother’s mental health struggles when she was living in Nashville years ago. Friends actress Jennifer Aniston readily admits she has a therapist.
Reducing the stigma surrounding mental health makes it easier for people to admit they are struggling and need help. That’s why it’s so beneficial when people like Johnson and Aniston come forward and talk about their situation.
Two positive things have happened recently that have really excited me in the mental health field. One is that our local board of education has been proactive in expanding its staff to include additional mental health professionals. The BOE Division of Mental Health has grown from one to four in the past year and there are plans to expand even more in the future as funding allows. Second, last year the Federal Communications Commission approved the new number 988 for mental health emergencies. The new crisis number was developed to relieve you of the burden of having to remember longer numbers if necessary. People with non-mental health emergencies still use the 911 digits.
If you are struggling emotionally or suffer from an adjustment disorder, anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues, it may be helpful to schedule a few sessions with a mental health provider. If you prefer telemedicine, there are many regional providers offering telehealth sessions, and there are also numerous online platforms specifically designed for mental health.
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The Homesteads Artisan Festival begins today at 4950 Hwy. 127 S. The festival includes vendors, food trucks and music. The opening hours are today and tomorrow, Saturday 20 May, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The 2023 graduation practice will conclude tonight on the grounds of Stone Memorial High School. Cumberland County High School final practice was held last night and Phoenix High School graduates received their diplomas Wednesday night. The remaining Cumberland County students will be officially released at 10 a.m. next Friday, May 26, just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
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