‘You’re not alone’: Mental health advocates in DC spotlight Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Medical Awareness Month but D C Director of the Department of Behavioral Medical Barbara Bazron is emphasizing that addressing mental well-being should be an everyday practice Related stories Actress Taraji P Henson returns home for mental physical condition awareness workshop The Best Nutrients for Mental Wellness Making workplace fitness a priority How Cornerstone Montgomery puts employees first Bazron explained that since the pandemic the society does seem to be more aware of how significant it is to take care of their mental physical condition as well as physical wellness Bazron explained that there are a number of methods people can reach out and get help Calling or texting is just one way to start the process She explained however that it s much more than a problem line provides people with someone to call someone to talk to and a place to go if mental physical condition services are needed We are available Somebody will answer that line any time of the day or night and they will not only just have a conversation to determine what your need is but connect you to the services that you need Bazron reported WTOP Bazron reported the District has invested funding to address mental wellbeing issues noting that services are available in D C s inhabitants schools In addition to that the full array of services are available within the Citizens Healthcare Function system and are indeed paid for by Medicaid so ability to pay should not be a barrier to care she mentioned Bazron commented there are a number of strategies to take care of your mental medical that you can do on your own One is to make sure that we take care of our physical self by exercising doing something that we like to do well and that brings us enjoyment she noted Other things include having meaningful engagement with people around us she reported Talk to others about the way you feel and also practice mindfulness Mental wellness is key to overall strength I want everyone to mind their mental vitality not just during the month of May but every day Bazron added You are not alone D C s mental strength offerings includes the use of peer specialists people who ve addressed their own mental soundness that went through training to become certified to help others Tanya Hawkins is one of those certified peer specialists Hawkins mentioned she was inspired to deal with childhood trauma when she was introduced to therapy in a group setting When I realized that I could also do this in a group setting and get advice and coping mechanisms and other skills from my peers I pretty much fell in love with all things related to mental well-being she commented And I ve comprehensively changed my entire lifestyle so that I can work in the field so I can be an encouragement to others If there s one thing Hawkins could emphasize to people she notified WTOP it s this You are not alone and anything that you face you re never by yourself There s dependably a group of people who have shared experience and are willing to share their experience with you she added The experience that put Hawkins on the path to becoming a certified peer sponsorship specialist was a group session with women like her I experienced a conversation that blew my mind It opened up my world and let me know that I wasn t alone The second thing Hawkins announced she learned and likes to share is Self-care is the largest part fundamental tool that you re going to have When people neglect their own demands Hawkins mentioned You cannot take care of the people who are directly in your charge You won t be able to contribute as much to your locality as what you have to offer and your own well-being suffers as a consequence Lastly Hawkins advised people to get involved in mental wellness awareness Specifically she s a big fan of having people of all ages involved in mental robustness first aid learning about mental medical strategies and helping young people learn strategies to address their mental healthcare demands Hawkins pointed to the work of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing It s just one of those things that as a neighborhood and as a nation really if we all were educated in this fashion the world be so much more of a better place she reported Source