With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting people across the country and around the world, it continues to leave its mark on our physical and mental health. On November 22, United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory addressing the mental health challenges we are already facing and calls for action to prevent it from becoming our next health crisis.
Even before the pandemic, we’ve been dealing with a steady rise of depression and suicidal ideation in teens (15.7% for depression and 18.8% for suicidal ideation as of 2019), and the social isolation from school closures and quarantining have only made matters worse.
Additionally, advocacy organization Mental Health America estimates that less than 30% of the 2 million children dealing with severe clinical depression in the US are getting the consistent mental health care they need.
For people of all ages experiencing depression in this distressing time, it is more essential than ever to care for your mental health. Let’s look at the challenges people face dealing with mental health issues, the conditions you may encounter, and why you should get help.
Residents of the Washington, DC Metropolitan area looking for help with depression and other mental health conditions can find relief with the skilled team at Vital TMS Therapy.
The challenges of mental health issues
In addition to the statistics regarding the crisis of children and teens in America, it’s important to know that one in five adults experience mental health issues in a given year, and one in 20 is living with a serious condition, including bipolar disorder and long term depression. And because we are still dealing with many years of misconceptions about mental illness (not knowing when someone is mentally ill, assuming a problem isn’t serious, not seeing the symptoms in yourself) it can be difficult to accept an issue and seek help for it.
Mental health conditions
Millions of people face these mental illnesses:
Clinical depression
Also called major depressive disorder, this is one of the most common mental health problems and one that is very commonly dismissed. Most people feel depressed at some point in their lives, but clinical depression is a persistent feeling of hopelessness and sadness and can lead to thoughts about suicide.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
There are moments in life when everyone gets nervous, but with this illness, people are extremely anxious and concerned about even the most minor things when there’s often no reason to be. That sort of behavior can prevent you from doing daily activities in your own life.
The importance of getting treatment
Left untreated, mental health issues will only get worse. It may seem overwhelming to deal with your condition, but you’re not alone. Millions of people deal with these conditions and go on to lead full, happy lives. Coming to grips with the fact that you have a problem and seeking help is the most important step to getting better.
We offer our TMS therapy services for a variety of mental illnesses, and when you’re ready to start getting help, we are here for you. So make an appointment at Vital TMS Therapy today to start your journey to better mental health.
