Briefly, it seemed like the coronavirus pandemic had turned a corner. “People were starting to feel a little bit optimistic this summer,” says Ariel Shumaker, an Asheville therapist in private practice, about COVID-19. “And now, it’s not feeling optimistic.” Fatigue, sadness, anxiety, rage, fear, exhaustion — these are the emotions area behavioral health professionals report […]
Losing a loved one is one of the few truly universal life experiences. Despite its universality, however, grieving can feel totally unpredictable — and totally isolating. Some bereaved people might already have mental health care providers or be able to rely on community resources like a school counseling office. But for many others, finding help […]
For activists like Victoria Estes, environmental scientists and others, the existential threat of climate change is taking an increasing toll on their mental health and well-being.
“You are witnessing the start of a wave of activism to help people within the music scene to fight stigma, to use commonsense harm reduction and mental health support.”
“Human beings just aren’t designed to be isolated in perpetuity,” says Rhonda Cox, executive vice president and chief population health officer at Vaya Health. But that’s exactly what many have had to endure over the past 10 months, and the strain is showing up in the region’s mental health system.
“To expect the police person to arrive on the scene and ‘fix it’ is both unrealistic and simplistic. Time to look to alternatives.”
“Let’s demand ethical, compassionate care for everyone in our community and acknowledge that we cannot look to the police for these interventions.”
“Promoting stigma and stereotypes may prevent people from seeking help for fear of being considered ‘crazy.'”
“Yes, it is true, we are told to say there is a stigma to mental health issues.”
“The senator’s actions speak louder than his words. His votes against health care are also votes against mental health.”
“You don’t have to be a psychiatrist to know that when you take away people’s routines and jobs, it’s difficult for them, especially if they have a mental illness,” says Brian Ingraham, CEO of Vaya Health. New federal funding will help two Western North Carolina agencies expand mental health services, some directly related to the pandemic and the rest addressing overall behavioral health issues.
“I want to encourage dialogue and support for mental health and breaking the stigma in all of North Carolina, including the Asheville area.”
When she was just 17, Melissa Colin decided to join the military as a combat medic. “When I first went in, I actually really loved it,” Colin recalls. “I had just gotten out of high school; I had to have my parents’ signature and all that.” Shortly after enlisting, however, she was sexually assaulted, which […]
“I urge our lawmakers to adequately fund life-changing mental health care for the good of our society, economy and future.”
Based on their work with teens experiencing depression, local professionals discussed their observations of a major factor that has changed in young peoples’ lives since 2005: near-universal use of social media.
Author Lynne Forrest will present a three-hour workshop Sunday, March 10, at Jubilee! Community in downtown Asheville. The goal, she explains, will be to help participants “get in touch with the limited story they are believing about themselves in the world, and then I will give them tools to see it in a different light.” The event is a fundraiser for Woman to Woman WNC, which promotes women’s self-empowerment.
A document that allows mental health patients to request personalized treatment from providers during times of crisis is beginning to gain popularity among those wishing to take charge of their health care decisions.
ASHEVILLE, N.C.
Mental Health Month, observed in the U.S. since 1949, brings awareness to the importance of maintaining mental health as much as physical health.
“City Council’s resolution, worthless as it is, repeats the same ignorance expressed by the letter writer in that they think they can ban ‘possession’ of these semiauto rifles with a ‘scary’ appearance, in clear violation of the constitutional ban on ex post facto law.”
“People with mental health issues can lead full, meaningful lives. Treatment works. Recovery happens. The purpose of NAMI WC is support, education and advocacy.”
