Mental Health Awareness

This is a sponsored post, all opinions are our own.

It’s been a brutal few years, amiright? Unlike any other time in history, we can say with all sincerity that every single person on Earth was affected in some way by Covid-19. Perhaps they lost a loved one due to the pandemic, or perhaps they lost a job…or perhaps they were forced to homeschool their unruly children and it almost broke them (ahem). Just like you, our entire Funny Family was affected by the pandemic. Honestly, we’re still dealing with the repercussions of mental health issues to this day. In an effort to help myself and my own family I started doing a little light research online about general mental health. What is it? What causes it? How do we treat it? I would love to share a few insights that I came across with you.

What Is Mental Illness?

Let’s start at the very beginning. Mental Illnesses are conditions in the brain that affect thinking, emotions, and behaviors. Our brains can experience changes based on life experiences like stress, trauma, lack of sleep, and nutrition. Negative feelings can come from life changes, like moving to a new city, losing friends, or grief. These normal changes in mood are not mental illness, these feelings are a result of dealing with life’s circumstances. However, for some people significant circumstances (trauma or stress) can develop into a more serious brain issue – a mental illness.

Causes of Mental Illness

Most mental illnesses do not have a single cause. Mental illnesses typically have a variety of causes, these causes are called risk factors. The more risk factors one person has, the more of a chance they are to develop of a mental illness. The development of a mental illness isn’t guaranteed of course! It’s honestly all a big giant crap shoot (that’s my own Funny Mom technical term). Sometimes the mental illness develops gradually and sometimes it will appear after a stressful event that triggers it. Basically, having the chemistry and the right risk factors is a perfect chemistry for a fire (aka a mental illness).

Examples of Major Risk Factors and Triggers according to Mental Health America:

• Genetics. Mental illness often runs in the family.
• Environment. Living in a stressful environment can make you more likely to develop a mental illness. Things like living in poverty or having an abusive family put a lot of stress on your brain and often trigger mental illness.
• Childhood trauma. Even if you’re no longer in a stressful environment, things that happened to you as a child can have an impact later in life.
• Stressful events: like losing a loved one, or being in a car accident.
• Negative thoughts. Constantly putting yourself down or expecting the worst can get you stuck in a cycle of depression or anxiety.
• Unhealthy habits: like not getting enough sleep, or not eating.
• Drugs and alcohol: Abusing drugs and alcohol can trigger a mental illness. It can also make it harder to recover from mental illness.
• Brain chemistry. Mental illness involves an imbalance of natural chemicals in your brain and your body.

Mental Illness Diagnosis

The existence of negative feelings and thoughts don’t necessarily mean someone has a mental illness. In order to be diagnosed with a mental illness, the negative changes in thinking and emotions have to be pervasive and persistent.

Pervasive: Seriously affect your ability to do things you want to do and

Persistent: Stick around for longer than it should.

Getting Mental Health Help

You don’t have to do this alone. When I finally realized this, when I finally was able to accept help…I felt so much better. Just knowing that there was online therapy that accepts insurance out there made me feel so much better. There is someone out there that can help me and not cost me an arm and a leg in fees?! Believe me, if I can ask for help…so can you.

There is a vital need for mental health support. And thankfully, the mental health industry is responding. Online therapy that accepts insurance does exists! Companies like Headway, which are covered by insurance is a fantastic fast growing extensive resource to help those in need.

Mental Healthcare is Accessible

A recent insurgence of much needed mental healthcare has gone through the roof. I overheard on my local news this afternoon that phone calls to the state of Maine police for mental health purposes has gone up 60% within the past year. Thankfully, there are a few companies out there that are striving to provide mental healthcare for all. Headway is a fantastic resource that is covered by most insurances in most states. They are actively developing extensive resources on mental health and therapeutic support to help educate people in need on how therapy works, why it is important, and how you can treat various illnesses. Check them out for yourself and see if they are available in your state! You won’t regret trying.

If you have any questions please feel free to email me personally at DesireeEaglin (at) gmail (dot) com

If you’re experiencing emotional distress, the resources below provide free and confidential support 24/7. If this is an emergency, call 911.

Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line
Text HOME to 741741