Join Memorial Hospital’s Evergreen Center and Behavioral Health team this May as they celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to spread awareness and help break down the stigma surrounding mental illness.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, individuals are invited to Look Around and Look Within to learn about how ones surroundings can impact mental health. Take a moment to consider where you live. Do you feel safe? Do you have access to health care and grocery stores? Does your environment support you both physically and mentally?
Where a person is born, lives, learns, works, plays, and gathers, as well as their economic stability and social connections, are part of what is called social determinants of health (SDOH). The more these factors work in your favor means you are more likely to have better mental well-being. However, when it seems like the world is working against you, your mental health can suffer.
“Despite the fact that many aspects of your environment are beyond your control, there are steps you can take to improve your environment and protect your well-being,” said Valerie Brown, RN, BSN, program director of Memorial Hospital’s Evergreen Center.
Mental Health America has a few suggestions on how to do just that.
- work toward securing safe and stable housing: This can be challenging due to finances, age, and other reasons, but there are a few things you can try, such as reaching out to state/local agencies to secure housing, removing safety hazards in the home, or finding another space (such as a community center or friend’s home) where you can get the comfort you are missing at home.
- focus on your home: Consider keeping your space tidy, sleep-friendly, and well-ventilated. Surround yourself with items that help you feel calm and positive.
- create bonds with your neighborhood and community: Get to know the people living around you, join or start neighbors-helping-neighbors groups, and support local businesses to challenge gentrification.
- connect with nature: Hike in a forest, sit in a city park, bring a plant inside, or keep the shades open to absorb natural light.
The world around us can be both positive and negative – bringing joy and sadness, hope and anxiety. Learn more with Mental Health America’s 2023 Mental Health Month toolkit, which provides free, practical resources, such as how an individual’s environment impacts their mental health, suggestions for making changes to improve and maintain mental well-being, and how to seek help for mental health challenges. Go to mhanational.org/may to learn more.
If you’re taking steps to improve your surroundings but are still struggling with your mental health, you may be experiencing signs of a mental health condition.
Memorial Hospital’s Evergreen Center is designed to meet the unique needs of individuals typically 65 and older experiencing depression and/or anxiety related to life changes that are often associated with aging. If you or someone you know is struggling with a decline in their mental health, our program wants you to know we are here to help. Whether through our program, or another service, our team works to identify and address the emotional needs of those in our community and provide support.
Memorial Hospital also has a Behavioral Health team who provides care to children ages 4-17 and adults 18+, including medication management, counseling, addiction services, and more. For more information, contact 217-357-6888.
Both the Evergreen Center and Behavioral Health team are located at the Memorial Medical Building at 1450 N. County Road 2050, Carthage, Illinois on the hospital campus. If you, or someone you know can benefit from either of these programs, do not hesitate to reach out.
