The past year has created false and sometimes unsettling resilience that made us believe we have to live through the stress of life just to survive.  There is absolutely no reason to live by that philosophy.  With the guidance of a professional, many of these issues can be resolved and your life experience can be so much more fulfilling.  You don’t have to experience these traumas and life’s difficulties alone.  Professional counseling does not mean you are crazy or that you will need help forever.  Being able to discuss your experiences with an outside person allows you new perspectives and more options for change.  

Most of us leaned into work, friendships, family, and activities to keep us busy before the shutdown, and subsequently were left without the distractions and coping mechanisms to decompress.  Some of us tried to talk with friends and family during the start of this difficult time to find that everyone was struggling, and the lack of solutions leads to feelings of isolation and sometimes hopelessness.  Professional support is different because it is your time with an unbiased person that is listening to understand your struggles and is present to help you create those solutions.

This has also been a time when most people began to realize that life could be better.  Many of us have felt that we don’t need it, that it isn’t that bad, or that it will all work itself out eventually.  We are all discovering that we don’t have to wait on “eventually”?  A few hours with a counselor who will listen to you, get insight into your life, and then give you tools to make life better….  Why wait on that?  Why not create that for yourself right now?

Mental health is more important than ever.  We are seeing so many side effects and long term changes in people as a result of living through the first airborne pandemic in many of our lifetimes.  We are seeing more national and international studies that are expressing concerns about areas within our lives getting better and other areas getting worse.  What’s important right now is advocating for the mental well-being of you and your community.  We can’t start creating change and large scale support without starting in our own homes.

As the pandemic began to sink in during the spring of 2020, many people started to report increases in anxiety, trouble sleeping, substance use, and poor ability to cope.  It makes sense that these numbers have not been able to restabilize.  We are still watching and waiting to see what life looks like on the other side of this international catastrophe.

As mental health professionals right here in Northeast Louisiana, we are recognizing a need for mental health support like never before.  We are all so used to living with a need of survival and feelings of helplessness that we aren’t as easily able to identify when something is within our control to improve.  The mental health community, leadership individuals, and partners within Finding Solace Counseling, are coming together in order to advocate for each of you to to know how to advocate for your own mental health.

If you were struggling with your physical health, you would not (or at least should not) wait to seek help from a professional.  There is no reason for your mental health to be any different.  Whether it is a sore throat or body aches, depressed mood or feeling anxious, there are professionals there to help.