It’s estimated that one in five adults in the United States live with some form of mental illness.
These behavioral health issues range from the mildly inconvenient to threatening daily functioning and overall health. And though many long-standing stigmas surrounding these issues are less problematic than in the past, seeking help can still be immensely challenging.
“I think people are hesitant to talk about mental health issues in our country,” says Dr. Danielle Kizer, a board-certified psychiatrist at Bellingham’s PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center. “We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and we don’t ask for help, and so many of us don’t ask for help early enough.”
With May serving as National Mental Health Awareness Month, now is a great time to get help if you need it, or to simply take stock of the healthy behaviors that can positively influence both your mental and physical health.
Expanding Outpatient Services
One of PeaceHealth’s approaches to mental health is collaborative care, also known as “integrated behavioral health.” This healthcare model, based on the process developed by the University of Washington’s AIMS Center, puts mental health therapists in primary care clinics to treat patients referred by that clinic’s doctors.
These therapists — usually social workers with psychiatric training — provide short-term psychotherapy over the course of six to 12 sessions for common mental issues like depression and anxiety. This approach helps address problems before they become more chronic, while also freeing up space for new patients on a regular basis.
Evidence-based therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), which examines how thoughts and behaviors influence mood, have shown to be very helpful for many patients. Therapists receive support from psychiatric prescribers (either nurse practitioners or psychiatrists) who oversee their work, while also consulting with primary care doctors about medication management when initial treatment isn’t working as hoped.
This model is currently used in nine PeaceHealth clinics across Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan counties.
“We’re trying to be in every PeaceHealth primary care clinic,” Dr. Kizer says.
This summer, PeaceHealth will open a new outpatient psychiatry clinic for those needing longer-term management of mental health conditions. The new Rimland clinic, based in Bellingham’s Barkley neighborhood, will likely open by July and employ a master’s level therapist, PhD level psychologist, nurse practitioners, and psychiatrists.
PeaceHealth providers will not only see patients face-to-face at Rimland but will also incorporate ample amounts of telemedicine appointments. That means those struggling with transportation or mobility issues will be able to receive mental health treatment without leaving their homes.
In the not-too-distant future, Dr. Kizer says PeaceHealth also hopes to establish a more intensive outpatient program to serve two purposes: help those who’ve been hospitalized to transition from in-patient care, while preventing others with serious mental health challenges from requiring hospitalization in the first place.
Critical Inpatient Care
For those who can’t be cared for in outpatient settings, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center operates a 20-bed inpatient unit. This location is only for those at imminent risk of harm to themselves or others, or who otherwise are completely unable to care for themselves.
Inpatient services include electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s is the only hospital north of King County to offer it, says Dr. Kizer.
The hospital currently has three psychiatrists, with another set to begin this fall. A psychologist is also employed for the inpatient unit, as well as a part-time nurse practitioner.
Mental Health Tips
There are, of course, plenty of great, non-clinical ways to maintain your mental well-being.
Physical activity is great for blood flow to the brain, helping positively affect the neurotransmitter systems responsible for mood regulation and conditions like depression and anxiety. Consistent physical activity is also showing great promise in lowering risks of dementia.
“Anything that you’ve been told over the years that’s good for your heart, is good for your brain,” Dr. Kizer says. “You’ve got to get outside and do stuff, if you can.”
And that activity doesn’t have to be overly strenuous to have a positive mental effect. With Pacific Northwest winters contributing to cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), simply going for a walk on a cloudy day is still better than sitting under fluorescent lighting, Kizer says. Getting natural Vitamin D from sunlight no matter how slight, can help.
If your exercise takes you into the forest or another natural landscape, that can also have additional positive effects.
“If you get up in the morning and don’t feel like moving because you’re depressed, you might rather stay in bed all day,” says Dr. Kizer. “But if you stay in bed all day, by the end of the day you’re actually going to feel more depressed. And if you got yourself out of bed and went for that hike, not only are you going to feel better about yourself, but you’re going to experience all those other health benefits.”
Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet can positively influence your emotions, and supplements like fish oil may also have some benefit for issues like depression, Kizer says. Having a pet can also be a great help when you’re battling through emotional strife; in addition to a pet’s unconditional love, their dependence on you can also help you get moving.
But if healthy lifestyle habits aren’t enough, seeing your doctor to access available mental health services is always recommended.
“I think it’s always the right thing to do, to talk,” Kizer says. “See if there’s something you should address. Because with some of these things, if we do address them earlier, people have better outcomes.”
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