What is mental health, exactly? How can someone tell when their own mental health, or someone else’s, might be out of balance? And if it is, what steps can they take to restore that equilibrium?
Goldenites delved into these tough questions and more during a new Mental Health 101 event April 3 at the community center. About 25 people attended the presentation, led by Jefferson Center for Mental Health, with Golden United and other local agencies asking community-centric questions afterward.
Golden United member Ron Benioff and his colleagues said, based on feedback from the April 3 event, they’ll plan to host similar events in the future, such as a Mental Health First Aid class.
Benioff, who helped organize the event, said it was part of a “critical discussion about mental health and wellness” within the Golden community. He described how mental health is “a huge challenge for all of us individually and all of us across the community,” and how Golden United and its partners wanted to provide resources to help support Goldenites in their journeys.
As presenter Charles Floyd, community engagement coordinator for Jefferson Center for Mental Health, described: Mental health is a journey that everyone walks alone.
While there are resources available to help in that journey — such as therapy, crisis services and general community support — Floyd said everyone’s journey is unique because “no one else experiences the world in the way you experience it.”
Floyd shared a lengthy, multifaceted definition of mental health, which he said has been largely accepted by health professionals. He focused on the phrase “a dynamic state of internal equilibrium,” and emphasized how no one should feel like they’re failing if they feel out of balance right now.
He also said no one is ever too old to start focusing on their mental health.
When, how to seek help
In general, Floyd said mental health warning signs include:
- Changes in mood, behavior, thought patterns and/or personality;
- Increased substance use;
- Social withdrawal;
- Eating too much or too little; and
- Trouble sleeping.
These can be applicable to one’s self or to other people, but Floyd said it’s often easier to recognize changes in others.
Floyd offered a list of self-help strategies that emphasized physical movement; spending time in nature and/or with one’s community; meditation and deep-breathing exercises; proper nutrition; and good sleep habits.
“Whatever works for you, do it,” Floyd said. “Do whatever it does that fulfills you and keeps you going.”
He recommended people seek professional resources when self-help strategies aren’t providing enough relief or if they simply feel like they need to talk to someone. He emphasized people should absolutely seek professional help if they are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Floyd said Jefferson Center for Mental Health offers a wide variety of services for anyone in need, including individual, group and family therapy options; peer specialist support; wellness classes and coaching; parenting resources; school-based services; and substance use treatment. It also has resources specifically for children, youth, families, seniors, veterans and military personnel.
Additionally, in July, JCMH is merging with Denver-based WellPower to become the largest mental health organization in Colorado, he said.
Whether Goldenites recognize warning signs in themselves or others, Floyd said “it takes a lot of courage” to seek out professional help for one’s self or to tell a loved one they should.
“Society tells us to mind your own business,” Floyd continued. “So, it’s hard to say … ‘Hey, I feel like you’re not the person that I know. Is everything alright?’”
What’s next for Golden?
After Floyd’s presentation, members of Golden United, the Rotary Club of Golden and other community partners asked the 25 or so attendees what mental health topics they’d like to see covered at future events. The attendees said they’d be interested in a Mental Health First Aid class, especially if people could attend online or in person. They also wanted to ensure teenagers and Colorado School of Mines students were included in these community discussions.
Benioff said Golden United would put together one or two additional events with these suggestions in mind, saying he was “really pleased” with how the April 3 Mental Health 101 event went.
Despite a very heavy topic, he thought the attendees had “frank, open and good suggestions” and questions.
Golden’s Cummings family members were among the April 3 attendees, saying they signed up because they thought the topic would be informative and relevant. Chris Cummings said Floyd was very passionate and engaging about mental health, and that he was able to keep things appropriately lighthearted without undercutting the heavy subject matter.
Michele Cummings said she appreciated learning about the exact definition of mental health and the steps people can take to maintain their internal equilibrium. Staying physically and socially active are steps the Cummings have been discussing as a family, with Michele emphasizing how the warning signs are things that can easily “creep up on you.”
She referred to one’s mental health like pieces of a puzzle, adding, “Everything matters.”
ADDITIONAL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
Contact Colorado Crisis Services 24-7 at 844-493-8255 or text “TALK” to 38255.
The Jefferson Center for Mental Health walk-in center at 4643 Wadsworth Blvd. is open 24-7. It’s available to people who are in active crisis, or who just need someone to talk to.
A full list of all JCMH locations and services is available at jcmh.org.