CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- October 10 is recognized as World Mental Health Day. This day focuses on raising awareness and mobilizes efforts to support those with mental health.
Over the years, mental health has become an area which has been more open for discussion and healthcare workers feel it’s important to continue these efforts to help the stigma go away.
We talked with Trisha Phemister who is the Advanced Practice Nurse who specializes in psychiatric care at Integrated Health in Carterville. She said it’s important everyone does their part in reducing the stigma for suicide and mental health.
“Because there has been a lot of stigma in the past and people have refrained from coming to get care, it’s really important for us to decrease that stigma so that we can do a better job at helping people that are suffering from depression and anxiety; so we can work on ourselves and have just better mental and physical health in general,� Phemister said.
Destigmatizing suicide language has become increasingly important over the years as well.
“I think we’ve come a long way in not using words that make it look like it’s a bad thing or like it’s something we should be ashamed of,� Phemister said. “So, we do try to word things a little bit differently now so that we’re not causing it to look like it’s a bad thing.�
Behavior Health Director Kristin Francis with Integrated Health said it’s important to destigmatize mental health, especially for those who suffer from it so they can feel comfortable talking about it and get the help they need.
“There’s been many decades where people wouldn’t seek help because people thought it was weak and it was embarrassing to family and friends if they did seek that help,� Francis said. “So, it’s all about trying to normalize not being okay. Because, sometimes we’re not okay.�
Francis said nobody should feel embarrassed or ashamed of mental health or having feelings of not wanting to be here anymore.
“Sometimes what they’re going through is so discouraging, painful and hard that they see no other way out,� Francis added.
Both Francis and Phemister said this is why people and society as a whole should help with understanding why reducing the stigma around mental health and suicide is important. This would help with those who suffer to seek the help they need and talk about what they are going through.
“I would encourage anybody who is feeling like they’re struggling or needs a little help to reach out to someone,� Phemister said.
