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Local resources support everyday emotional health

Sluis

Your brain is in your body. Your emotions are a part of you. If chest pain is treated, why ignore an aching heart?

In our “suck it up, buttercup” culture, emotional distress is often seen as weakness, or a lack of will. Stigma can be a powerful barrier to seeking care. But as R.E.M. poignantly sings: Everybody hurts, sometimes. When mental health is seen as a normal part of whole-person care, there’s a ripple effect in the community. Everybody has a better chance to be healthy.

Shared compassion eases the emotional pain and trauma associated with community tragedies, such as a polluted river or the death of a beloved local hero. Similar support also helps people bear the burden of private emotional pain. With this support and so many quality resources available, there’s no need for anyone to suffer alone.

Seeking care for emotional issues leads to:

Active participation in life. Mental health issues can be as debilitating as physical illness or pain. A person experiencing emotional challenges is not able to focus on family, work or community. Relationships are enhanced when you take care of your emotional well-being by seeking support and developing coping strategies that work for you. Your improved personal health benefits the community, because a well person has energy to be productive and contribute their talents.Better health through prevention. As the saying goes: If you don’t make time for your health, you will eventually have to make time for illness. Many people work toward physical fitness to feel better and improve their quality of life. Emotional fitness requires effort, too. Just as checking and treating high blood pressure early can prevent a stroke, early identification of depression or anxiety can prevent a crisis.Giving others courage. No one should feel stigmatized for seeking care for their emotional health and well-being. In fact, this private decision deserves community support. When someone is willing to look at mental health as part of overall health care, it paves the way for friends and family to also seek care and let go of feelings of shame or “what will people think?”The nation’s attitude about health has to change. The goal is to be truly healthy, versus dealing with being sick. Mental health has a powerful effect on quality of life, and it should be approached with the same support as physical health. Embrace the local health care continuum, find the resources that are right for you and continue on the road to wellness.

Karla Sluis is a spokesperson for Axis Health System in Southwest Colorado. Reach her at ksluis@axishealthsystem.org.

For more information

Get the help you need, when and where you need it.

Awareness is the first step toward wellness. Access is the next step. Fortunately, there are high-quality local resources and many ways to receive care. Axis Health System partners with other respected organizations to help people find the right care when they need it.

Call the 24-hour information line at 247-5245. A caring staff member will act as a gateway to direct you to the best local site or program for your situation. If you are in crisis, call the same number. Or, you can also walk in at Crossroads at Grandview, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, at 1125 Three Springs Blvd. in Durango.

There are also options for receiving whole-person care at La Plata Integrated Healthcare or Cortez Integrated Healthcare. At these innovative clinics, health professionals work in sync to respond to both physical and behavioral concerns.



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