mckinleysthoughts: Nurses and Mental Health Awareness

For those who were able to celebrate Mother’s Day yesterday with both your living and heavenly Mothers, I pray that your mental health awareness is intact.

I know from experience that the grieving process is different for many people.

I still have my days, too, as I find days when I think about my mother.

Many of you are probably unaware of the Green Ribbons being worn this month.

“Did you know that 1 in 5 Americans will experience a diagnosable mental health condition this year?”

Where to Start 2024 MHA May Toolkit (mhanational.org)

Knowing that May is Mental Health Awareness Month, I am vested in 51 documented credits toward clinical mental health.

Therefore, I continue to stay up to date with understanding the challenges of mental health.

I know the effects mental health can bring, as I’ve seen family members who have Alzheimer’s or Dementia.

This month, I wrote in my journal about the care given to my Brother-in-Law as various Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) take care of him.

Ironically, this past week was also National Nurses Week, which ran from May 6 to May 12, 2024.

I took time to say thank you to the nurses.

Knowing that nurses have an essential role in our lives, many don’t see the burden they carry for the ones we love going into the next chapter of their lives.

I witnessed how nurses assisted doctors with various intake procedures this past week.

Nurses offer compassion and kindness to those who need it most. Nurses are also often a source of comfort, safety, and security while being passionate about helping others.

In short, Nurses add so much value, yet many continue to take their services for granted.

I often wonder, with the stresses of life in 2024, who is taking care of the mental health of our Nurses these days?

Many remember the pandemic of 2020 and how they carried the burden, and, in most cases, they are still carrying the burden with people still infected today.

Nurses are human beings like you and me; their mental health is also essential.

Nevertheless, as we celebrate mental health month, it’s celebrated during a month of many other celebrations.

Gerontology and Mental Health are two areas I have learned to understand as I age and see the effects of others.

Mental Health Concerns and Aging | Psychology Today

Each time I visit the doctor, nurses ask questions about depression, suicidal thoughts, feelings of hopelessness, and other probing questions concerning my mental health.

I do not want to write about anything that I have not experienced, and with two doctor’s appointments this month already, my mental health is being checked.

What about yours?

Today, you and I don’t have to look far to see the stigma attached to mental health.

Psychiatry.org – Stigma, Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Mental Illness

As you go about this week, think about all the people in your life and how you can better support their mental health as well as your own.

“Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your whole life.” ~ Shannon L. Alder

“Never give up on someone with mental illness. When “I” is replaced by “We,” illness becomes Wellness.” ~ Shannon L. Alder

Remember, “There is no health without mental health.” ~ David Satcher

Blog source: https://mckinleysthoughts.com/mental-health/