Photo courtesy of Dallas County Hospital
May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and Dallas County Hospital emphasizes that you should care for your mind as you would your body.
Karen Hildreth, a Registered Nurse and Program Director for Senior Life Solutions at DCH, says throughout the month the hospital will be shining a light on how people can better handle their daily emotional struggles. Hildreth says mental health is frequently neglected, even by those struggling with it, as people can be afraid to address it. “Often times, there’s a stigma about mental health. Often times we don’t seek out help, we silently suffer. And that’s our goal, is to not do that and to seek out help from professionals. Talk to your friends, families, church members, and acknowledge that maybe you’re struggling and seek that support. It’s okay to get help for your mental health. And it’s no different than if you broke your foot and you would go to physical therapy, when we have injuries to our emotional wellbeing we need to do the same actions.”
Each week during May, DCH is sharing helpful tips for maintaining your emotional wellbeing on their Facebook page. There are also educational folders available in the hospital lobby that people are free to take, as well as green ribbons to show support for those suffering from mental illness. To learn more about National Mental Health Awareness Month, click the link below to visit the Dallas County Hospital Facebook page. To hear more from Hildreth, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.