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Principled Advocacy For Families And Individuals With Disabilities And The Professionals Who Serve Them

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

On Behalf of | May 21, 2021 | Firm News

The attorneys and professionals at Monahan Law Group encounter complex issues relating to mental health literally every day, in many different contexts. As a consequence, it is tempting to look beyond general “awareness” of mental health and focus attention on the specific legal issues and challenges of the day.

But awareness of mental health has never been more important or in need of recognition. This past year has presented so many challenges and obstacles that have tested our strength and resiliency both individually and as a society. The global pandemic has forced us to cope with situations we never even imagined, and many of us struggled with our mental health as a result. Some people who had never before experienced mental health challenges found themselves struggling for the first time. The past year forced many to accept tough situations that they had little to no control over. If you found that it impacted your mental health, you are not alone.

Now, more than ever, we need to combat the stigma surrounding mental health concerns. In this spirit, with credit to Mental Health America and their #Tools2Thrive campaign, Monahan Law Group would like to share with you, and emphasize, the following:

  • Mental health is essential to everyone’s overall health and well-being, and mental illnesses are common and treatable.
  • While 1 in 5 people will experience a mental illness during their lifetime, everyone faces challenges in life that can impact their mental health.
  • Recent data from the CDC indicates that 1 in 4 four adults reported experiencing symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder in early 2021. And nearly 10 percent of America’s youth are reporting severe depression.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has had profound impacts on the mental health of people of all ages, and now more than ever it is critical to reduce the stigma around mental health struggles that commonly prevents individuals from seeking help.
  • There are practical tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency, regardless of the situations they are dealing with. Check out Mental Health America and their #Tools2Thrive.
  • It’s important to accept the situations in life that we cannot change, actively work to process the mental struggles associated with big changes, manage anger and frustration, recognize when trauma may be affecting your mental health, challenge negative thinking patterns, and make time to take care of yourself.
  • Knowing when to turn to friends, family, and co-workers when you are struggling with life’s challenges can help improve your mental health.
  • Living a healthy lifestyle and incorporating mental health tools to thrive may not be easy, but can be achieved by gradually making small changes and building on those successes.
  • Seeking professional help when self-help efforts to improve your mental health aren’t working is a sign of strength, not weakness.

At Monahan Law Group, we have spent the past 35 years working on mental health-related legal issues. A lot has changed over these decades. Now, more than ever, science and technology are addressing mental health and have created many alternative treatments to address the challenges which impact so many. Whether it is the expanded use of telehealth or new medications and one-on-one therapies, all stakeholders – payors, providers, and individual consumers of services – are becoming more aware of the need to address mental health issues more directly in our communities. People are demanding parity in insurance funding and challenging the stigma which has negatively impacted so many over the years.

We pledge to continue to be part of the solution. We will continue to advocate for necessary legislative changes and continue to provide quality representation for families and for individuals challenged with mental health issues in their daily lives. We will continue to provide training, guidance, and representation to the professionals who provide mental health services so that legal and ethical interventions remain the standard in our communities.

From all of us at Monahan Law Group, we invite you to join in our commitment!