Breaking the Barriers Around Mental Health Care
The percentage of adults with a mental illness who report unmet need for treatment has increased every year since 2011.
“Getting mental health support is not even a consideration for people who need it,” said Michaela Ramos, CEO of Calm Change. “People say ‘pray about it’ or ‘you got this.’ In those words of encouragement, ‘go see a therapist’ is not even something that is said because it’s not something people do.”
Many say part of the problem is the stigma around seeking help.
“It’s almost an insult when you suggest that someone should go to therapy,” said Laprece Armour, a therapist at Wellpoint Care Network. “There’s definitely still a stigma that makes people not want to go. It sounds scary. It sounds like you’re a bad person or that you don’t have it together.”
Ramos and Armour were part of Wellpoint Care Network’s 1st Black Mental Health Professionals Panel, where therapists from the Milwaukee area talked about the importance of seeking help.
“The head runs the whole show,” added Armour. “The mental runs the whole show. If you’re having some faulty perceptions or difficulty functioning in life because of the way you are perceiving things, it’s going to run through emotionally as well. The mind matters. Just as much as the physical, the mind matters.”
“The mind matters. Just as much as the physical, the mind matters.”
laprece armour, wellpoint care network
One important message from the day- “you are not crazy.”
“Just because you are seeking mental health, that does not mean you are crazy,” said Dr. Lakeia Jones, CEO of AMRI Counseling Services. “It’s like going to see your doctor or getting your hair done or getting a massage. All these things are healthy. That’s the narrative we really need to start focusing on.”
“I think we have to look at it like maintenance,” added Montreal Cain, CEO of MERA Response Team. “When you think about the trauma we experience, it weighs on you. Your tire is getting lower and lower and lower. At what point do you say, ‘I don’t want this tire to become a blowout.’”
Post-COVID, mental health struggles have become increasingly common. By February of 2021, 36.4% of adults in Wisconsin reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety or depression.
“Forget about what anyone else says or thinks,” added Jones. “This is your life. If you feel like something is missing. If you feel like there are issues that haven’t been resolved. If you feel like there is something inside of you that has been itching at you for a long time and you are just over it, we are here. You are not alone. There are people here to help, who really want to see you do well.”
So, put aside the stigma and don’t be afraid to seek help if needed.
“Your diagnosis, your disorder, your trauma, it simply explains you, it does not define you,” said Cedric Dale Hoard, licensed Professional therapist at Christian Life Counseling. “It’s an explanation of how you are, it’s an explanation the things you went through, but you are more than your experiences. You can get help. There are people here to support you.”
For pictures from the event, click here.
To learn about the Mental Health Services at Wellpoint Care, click here.
To join our team of therapists, click here.
