Supervisors declare May as Mental Health Awareness Month

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Washington County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution proclaiming May 2021 as Mental Health Awareness Month in the county.

Bobbie Wulf, Washington County Mental Health and Disability Service director, told the board that Mental Health Awareness Month is a good reminder to stay focused on one’s mental health and resilience.

“Like physical health, everyone has mental health,” Wulf said. “You may also hear this called brain health.

“Mental health refers to our emotions, thoughts, self-esteem, our ability to problem solve and communicate, how we interact in relationships and the way we interpret the world around us.”

She said that, like physical health, mental health exists on a spectrum.

“You may experience times of poor mental health, such as feelings of anxiety when changing jobs or something that last longer, like depression after a divorce,” Wulf said. “Like physical health, your mental health can change over time depending on life circumstances.

“Mental illnesses are diagnose-able health conditions that affect how someone thinks, feels, behaves, and interacts with others.”

She said that mental illnesses can be short-term or long-term, and that one in five American adults and one in six American youth experience some sort of mental illness each year.

“Due to the pandemic, the number of people experiencing mental health challenges like anxiety and depression has skyrocketed,” Wulf said. “In late June 2020, 40 percent of U.S. adults reported struggling with mental health or substance use.”

She noted some steps people can take to protect their mental health.

These include recognizing the signs of stress, spending time outdoors, eating a healthy diet, building supportive relationships, taking breaks from work, taking breaks from the news and social media, following a regular sleep schedule, doing enjoyable things during nonwork hours and showing self-compassion.

“Acknowledge that it’s OK, not to be OK,” Wulf said. “Be compassionate to others and yourself, as our life’s circumstances are always changing and reach out to get the support you need. Recovery is possible.”