I bought some dental floss a month or so ago, and that got me thinking about mental wellness.
As mundane as floss may be, that was a watershed: I’m almost 63 years old and I’d never bought it once in my life – I flossed so seldom that the freebie I got every six months from my dental hygienist always sufficed.
But I’ve made a number of changes in my life – sleep, journaling, walking, meditation – to reduce anxiety, feel better physically and be more in control of my thoughts and feelings. Flossing is one of the smallest changes, but even that brief daily routine is a reminder that no one will care for me like I will.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and that brings to mind major illnesses like depression, traumatic stress disorders, schizophrenia and more. But there are many other factors, some situational or circumstantial, that impact a person’s mental state, and which in turn may affect physical health.
Those, in fact, can be far more common, said Julie Mack, a longtime MLive reporter who has expertise in mental health topics.
“Half of people at some point have anxiety or depression,” she said. “And there are a lot of people who have ‘gaps’ – there's a death in the family, or you go through a divorce or bad breakup. You're struggling with school or your job.”
Mack, who retired in 2021, is now a freelancer contributing stories to the Southwest Michigan Journalism Collaborative, a group of news outlets based in and around Kalamazoo that work in concert with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation to focus on topics and solutions to problems related to mental health. MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette is a member of the collaborative.
Recent focuses of the collaborative’s reporting have been the topics of mental health caregivers and their needs, last winter; youth mental health services and what's available, this spring and summer; and this fall, mental health in the workplace.
“The biggest issues right now are affordability and access – the demand far exceeds supply,” Mack said. “There's a shortage up and down the chain. … Nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, social workers, I mean, the whole gamut.
“Psychologists can have waiting lists (that are) months long. If you're in a mental health crisis, you can't be waiting for months to get an appointment, right?”
The pandemic increased stresses on people, which in turn overwhelmed an American mental health system that already was under-resourced. But Mack notes two “silver linings” to the COVID era: destigmatizing mental health issues, and greater offerings from insurance companies and employers for self-directed care.
“So many people were anxious and depressed because of the shutdowns and the changes and the isolation – what's the stigma when everybody is experiencing it?” she said. “And there are a lot of low-cost things you can do for your mental health. Many workplaces offer five sessions for free through their employee assistance programs.”
And then there are ways you can take care of yourself, simply by changing lifestyle, perspectives or how you direct your time and energy. Mack wrote this great article last year outlining 13 steps – most of them no-cost – to improve mental wellness.
“People have stressed the importance of exercise; meditation is another one. Volunteer service can really help – there’s a bunch of research that says doing good things for other people can really boost your mental health,” she said.
“Support groups can be really helpful … diet, sleep, church, a book club, film discussion group. There's lots of things that people can do on their own.”
I get it. Little things – even as small as a spool of dental floss – can be a step toward bigger improvements if we invest in our own well-being. I’m happier, and I know my hygienist will be, too.
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If you or a loved one are seeking support for mental health issues, check out these resources:
Michigan Stay Well Program, support for mental health impacts from COVID. Click here.
Michigan Minds Empowered, a resource hub for teens and young adults experiencing changes in thinking, emotions, and sensory perceptions such as hearing or seeing things that others don’t. Click here for information and resources.
Crisis Text Line, a texting service for emotional crisis support. To speak with a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is free, available 24/7, and confidential.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline is available at 1-800-273-8255.
Veteran Crisis Hotline is available at 1-800-273-8255
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John Hiner is the vice president of content for MLive Media Group. If you have questions you’d like him to answer, or topics to explore, share your thoughts at editor@mlive.com.
