LIVE UNITED Y’All!

From the Bridgehaven website

By Patty Belden

I was recently invited to Bridgehaven Mental Health Services to attend a “Bridge Builder” lunch and learn.  I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect.  I was aware of Bridgehaven, but I had never visited and didn’t know a great deal about their services.  All I really knew was that Bridgehaven worked with individuals suffering from mental illness.  What I didn’t know was that Bridgehaven offers much more than a service…they offer the chance to be part of a family.

Having never visited, I was not familiar with the campus and in true Patty-fashion I entered through the wrong door.  It was only seconds before I was greeted and offered assistance by two people (my confused look must have given me away as a visitor).  Everyone seemed to know that today was a Bridge Builder lunch and assumed that was why I was there.  To my surprise, I wasn’t just given directions to the room, but I was personally escorted by a client.  During the short walk I was thanked several times for visiting and asked repeatedly if I needed anything…what a great host!  Little did I know that later I would have the opportunity to hear this man’s personal story.

Upon entering the lunch room, I was warmly greeted again, offered a beverage and directed to my seat.  I was at a table with seven strangers…I assumed they were all here for the same reason that I was, to learn about Bridgehaven.  To my delight, the man, who had previously escorted me, came to our table and filled the eighth empty chair.  I also learned that of the eight, two were clients and three were volunteers.

The program began.  The welcome and thank you was nice and even included a personal story from the Executive Director…I was refreshed by her honesty and amazed that she was so comfortable to share her story.  However, nothing could have prepared me for the next piece of the program…several clients were going to share thier personal stories.

We sat captivated by this man and his story.  He was so open and so honest.  He talked about his struggle with alcoholism and his inability to form positive relationships.  He talked about hearing voices in his head.  Voices that put him down and made him feel worthless.  He drank alcohol to drown the voices, but it didn’t work.  They got louder and louder.  They became aggressive and threatening.  He drank more.  Because of his drinking, he was unable to keep a job, take care of himself, or build relationships.  He kept himself isolated.  What struck me the most was that this man didn’t realize that he was different.  He believed that everyone heard voices.  He didn’t know there was help out there.

When he talked about Bridgehaven, you could see the appreciation in his eyes and hear it in his voice.  He had found help.  He had found a family.

Bridgehaven’s services truly offer hope for the future by teaching the skills necessary to live, learn, work, and socialize.  These skills are taught through individual and group therapy as well as skill building activities.  Most importantly, Bridgehaven offers a family-like network of support.

Do you want to learn more about Bridgehaven or become involved as a volunteer?  Click here.

Do you know someone who could benefit from the services offered at Bridgehaven?  Click here.

Advocacy, General, Health, Volunteering Bridgehaven, mental health, Metro United Way agencies

By Kerri Cokeley

Today, I had lunch with a friend who is a mental health provider. We had a specific agenda to discuss, but ended up having the kind of conversation I wish more people were having.

The purpose of our meeting was to talk about the huge need for mental wellness services in our community and what we could do about it. We talked about three-week-long waiting lists for people who finally decided to seek help, the exorbitant cost of treatment (both on providers and patients), and the fact that there are still many people who could benefit from counseling services but don’t realize or admit it.

A little later, we got on the topic of data. Did you know that in the 2009 Attitudes & Behaviors survey, over 80% of Clark County 10^th graders reported that they had felt sad or depressed in the past month? And that 19% admitted to trying to kill themselves at least once in their life?!?

It’s disturbing. Very disturbing.

We then discussed next steps and the leaders we would make appointments with to ask for their partnership to make more services available. We committed to making this happen. But, what followed was the conversation that everyday people, here in our hometown, need to have more often.

We shared our own experience. Acknowledged the rollercoaster of life, its many ups and downs. The points in life when we didn’t know how to handle the grief, trauma, and stress that’s inherent in just being human. The fact that we tend to suppress our feelings, until things spin out of control. And how hard it is to reach out for help when things seem dark. Thankfully, we have both found the strength at different points in life to reach out when we needed support to make it through. We understand the concept of mental wellness, that it’s about trying to find and maintain balance.

After the check was paid and hugs were exchanged, we went on about our afternoon. But hours later, I sit here with the topic heavy on my heart. How is it that we so often gloss over the darkness, the depression we all experience in life? Why does being melancholy have to be taboo? Why don’t we talk about it and help each other work through pain more often?

I wonder what it would be like if we didn’t suppress our feelings so much? And if people recognized a problem with someone they would extend a caring hand? And if we all could work through painful feelings with support and without judgment?

What if, when we greet our acquaintances by saying, “How are you?” we really meant it?

Health Health, mental health, Mental Wellness