Not only do we need to know the signs; we must REACT to them, too
Harrison Thorp 9:34 a.m.
Editor's note: The Rochester Voice today publishes the third of a three-part series looking into the mental health crisis currently overwhelming New Hampshire's health provider system and what can be done to right the ship. Today: What are the five warning signs of declining mental health and what do we do if we see them. The numbers from the National Institute of Mental Health are staggering.
No one knows this better than John Broderick, the former chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and co-chair of Change Direction New Hampshire, a campaign seeking to raise awareness of the five major signs of emotional suffering that could indicate someone needs help. Broderick finds himself the pointman in a pivotal battle aimed at reconstituting how the public views mental health. "We don't say, 'Hey, that guy's acting diabetic,'" he said recently in an exclusive interview with The Rochester Voice. Which gets to the core of the problem, said Broderick, who has been crisscrossing the state and region trying to get people to grapple with the notion that mental illness is a disease, not a stigmatizing anomaly for which one should be scorned, ridiculed, ostracized or laughed at. Broderick says there's no denying the numbers of those suffering from various forms of mental illness - and there is a vast spectrum - is skyrocketing. "Some 25-30 percent of the kids in New Hampshire have a diagnosable mental health problem," said Broderick. Some more numbers from the National Institute of Mental Health.
To combat this mental health crisis, Broderick says there are three things we need to do. First we need to have a conversation about mental illness that sheds light on its existence as a medical condition, not some bogeyman. Second, we need to recognize the symptoms so everyone gets the help they need as soon as possible. And thirdly, we need to follow through, or REACT. The five symptoms as developed by The American Psychological Association include
Once people have learned to identify the five warning signs, the next step is acting on them when they see someone who may be struggling. For John Dixon, a Northern Seacoast man who works as a volunteer facilitator for the National Alliance of Mental Health and has a family member who suffers from mental illness, that could be anyone; neighbor, teacher, clergy member, social worker, primary doctor or just an acquaintance.
The R.E.A.C.T campaign codifies the desired response when a victim of mental illness is identified. The five letters stand for Recognize the signs of emotional suffering, Express concern and offer support, Act now and talk to someone you trust: parent, teacher, coach, relative, friend, doctor; Care enough to follow through and follow up; and Text the "signs". There has been much discussion as to why there is this explosion of mental health issues among our youth. Dixon reasons it could be a combination of more measurement and higher stress. "Why is there this explosion in concern in global warming?" he asks. "It wasn't always done. Today they are measuring more and there is more awareness." "But it could be those damn phones," he adds. "The interconnectedness, the stress level in children disconnected from their phones, it's unbelievable. You lose your phone, you lose your life." Broderick puts much of the problems kids are dealing with today with just plain more pressure combined with a breakdown of the nuclear family and a greater expectation for success. But Broderick also believes that students today can be the solution. "(They) have the ability to change the culture and the way mental health is viewed," he says. Dixon also thinks teachers have a wonderful opportunity to make an impact, since they spend a lot of time with their students on a daily basis, getting to know their individual personalities, strengths and weaknesses. Broderick says, however, before we do anything else, "We have to have the conversation," a conversation that reverses the centuries-old contention that mental illness sufferers need to be housed in nuthouses, marginalized and kept behind locked doors. Only when we do that can we truly begin the healing. Upcoming events with John Broderick: Sept. 27, 7;30 a.m. Marshwood High School, Eliot, Maine, teachers, faculty, administrators Oct. 11, 6:30 p.m. Dover High School, evening presentation About the series Part I of our series detailed the crowding of emergency departments like Frisbie's with mental health patients awaiting beds at New Hampshire Hospital in Concord, the state's primary mental health treatment facility. Published Aug. 14. Part 2 of our series dealt with why we need to destigmatize the plight of mental health sufferers and treat mental illness as a disease, not a condition. Published Aug. 21. Consult The Rochester Voice archives to read these articles.
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