You Are Not Alone

May 3

MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

By VIVIAN LaMOORE, STAFF WRITER

If you have a broken leg, you would not hesitate to seek medical attention immediately. But what about when your anxiety is broken, or your stress is broken, or your ability to smile is broken? Do you seek mental health attention in those cases? The Mille Lacs Band Health and Human Services is working hard to change the perspective of the community when it comes to overall health — physical as well as mental — by taking a wholistic approach to health. The focus of the Mille Lacs Band Mental Health Department is evolving as the needs of the community are shifting. May is Mental Health Awareness month. Crystal Weckert is the Associate Director of Mental Health. She discusses the need to change the stigma surrounding mental health and some changes in the Mental Health Department.

“Normalizing talking about physical health and mental health and how they connect is something we often overlook,” Weckert said. “But we need to be thinking it is normal to talk about it.”

Emotional health often carries over to physical health. For example, blood sugars can really go crazy with high levels of stress. Weckert explained that for people dealing with diabetes issues, or blood pressure issues, when adding increased levels of stress, anxiety or depression, both physical and mental health issues can become unstable. Migraine headaches, ulcers, aches and pains can feel bigger. “Our bodies react in very physical ways sometimes. It is all connected,” she added.

Face it. Life can be stressful. Everybody can use somebody to talk to sometimes. “Therapists are nice because you can openly talk about what is going on without having judgement. When you talk with a family member, there are expectations that exist, and certain agendas. Navigating those agendas is where secrets and struggles tend to happen,” Weckert said. “Therapists typically don’t give you advice that you pick up or don’t pick up. Therapists are going to help you figure out what you want and how to get there. That is why it is important to talk to a therapist: so that you can have an unjudgmental sounding board and a safe place to work those pieces out.”

Often in society, we hear people say things like, “I am not crazy,” or “I don’t have mental illness,” or “I don’t need help.” Often, people avoid or delay seeking treatment due to concerns about being treated differently or fears of losing their jobs and livelihood. That's because stigma, prejudice, and discrimination against people seeking mental health treatment is still very much a problem. But it is a problem that can have a solution. Simply talking about mental health in general will help eliminate some of the stigma, Weckert said. The first step is to begin to talk openly and honestly about mental health. That may seem simple on the surface, but it can be harder than it appears.

“As a society, we talk about stress and sadness, but we don’t necessarily talk about when these things don’t stop, or don’t go away. When the feelings are ongoing and they impair functioning, that is important to recognize. If you are saying things like, ‘I am so stressed or I have so much anxiety I can’t go to the grocery store, or I can’t go to work.’ But then people reply by saying, ‘just suck it up, just stop, just move on, stop dwelling,’ That makes everything even harder. When there are not a lot of understanding, there is not a lot of support. When there is not those understandings, or we don’t feel comfortable talking about it, people will stop talking about it. They think they can deal with it on their own and that gets really difficult. When people hold things in, and when things are secret, they grow.”

Talking about mental health with an understanding that it is normal to talk about it will help reduce the stigma. “When we can have open conversations and be honest with people about their struggles, the stigma will stop,” Weckert said.

Weckert used the example of Minnesota Nice. “I am going to ask you how you are doing, but I don’t really want to know — I just want you to say what you are supposed to say: that you are fine and then we can both move on. Being open and honest is not what you expect. Next time you ask someone how they are doing, think about what you asked and be prepared for them to be honest. And if they are honest, you don’t have to have the answers, or give advice — just listen. Being open and honest about your struggles when someone asks you how you are doing can help other people realize they are not alone and can help decrease their struggles, too.”

Trauma-informed care is the new buzz phrase in mental health, Weckert said. “What that means is being aware that other people have trauma, that when I move through the world, I might run into someone who is traumatized in some aspect. They may be struggling or having a hard time. We train our front desk people to not say, ‘how are you doing today?’ Because our clients might not feel fine. Every time they have to lie about being fine, and say what they are supposed to say, it feels like more pressure and they may feel even worse, or less okay, because they had to lie to say they were okay. So be really aware of how we talk to people in general.”

Weckert suggested other ideas to help reduced the stigma. She said, “when you talk to people, use language that promotes mental health. Put yourself out there as being an open person, a caring person, a safe person. By supporting people, it lets people know that it's okay to struggle and you support them and want good things for them, even if you don’t have all of the answers. We shouldn’t be afraid to let people know we are struggling.”

Trauma comes on all levels, and knowing that everybody experiences situations differently is important. Trauma means different things to different people. Everybody struggles. Everybody has difficulties. Having compassion for other humans is essential. And knowing that you are not alone is important, Weckert said.

“Our community has had a ton of losses for quite some time. Think about the opioid epidemic, a lot of deaths due to various reasons including natural, overdoes, COVID, etc., and suicides have increased,” Weckert said. She paused. “That wasn’t anything that we talked about in the past. Stigma around suicide is huge. If we suspect people died of suicide, we still cover those things up. It is hard to say, ‘My loved one chose to kill themselves.’ It is significantly easier to say it was an ‘accidental overdose.’ Knowing that this community has had a ton of loss is important and it is okay to have feelings about those things and talk about those things. Just recognizing that other people hurt too, that nobody is alone in those boats.”

RESOURCES

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Mental Health is here to help people with mental health issues before they become a crisis and to help maintain mental health stabilization once it is achieved. We are always happy to help support and we have a care line that can be reached at 320-674-4385.

If you or a loved one are at imminent risk, please contact 911 and ask for a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer.

Please see a list of other important resources directly below this article.

MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES

Canvas Mental Health provides crisis response and a mobile crisis team for residents of Chisago, Isanti, Pine, Kanabec, and Mille Lacs Counties. Please call 1-800- 523-3333 to reach the East Central Crisis Response. A link to their website: https://www.canvashealth.org/ crisis-support/mobile-crisis-response/

Crisis Line and Referral Services provides services to residents of Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, and Wadena Counties. They provide services for people in crisis and before their problems become a crisis. Their numbers is 218-828- HELP (4357) or 800-462-5525. This link will take you to their website: https://crisislineandreferralservice. org/about-crisis-line.html

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI. ORG has very specific helplines that can help find resources in your area. Do not hesitate to reach out. Call the NAMI HelpLine at 800-950-6264 to chat Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET.

In a crisis, text "NAMI" to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling.

If you or a loved one is at risk of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text MN to 741741.

If you or a loved one is at imminent risk, please contact 911 and ask for a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer.

MEN’S AND WOMEN’S GROUPS

The Women’s Healing Group meets on Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m., and the Men’s Empowerment Group meets Thursdays at 6 p.m. Both groups meet at the old District I Community Center across from Grand Casino Mille Lacs. All are welcome.

"THE REZ" NA MEETINGS

Narcotics Anonymous Meetings are held each Wednesday as 6 p.m. at the Aanjibimaadizing building.

FIRST AID AND CPR CLASSES AT HHS BUILDING

As part of the Band’s Community Risk Reduction or CRR efforts, First Aid and CPR classes are held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month in the Family Services training room at the Health and Human Services building in District I. Family Services staff and foster parents have priority, after which it is open to other departments and community members. There is a $10 fee for certification cards if participants would like them. Cards are free for Family Services staff and foster parents. Contact Kristina Abear at 320-532-7814 or kristina.abear@hhs.millelacsband-nsn.gov to sign up.

PASSENGER SAFETY IS A SNAP

SNAP — Safe Native American Passenger Training — is held on the first Tuesday of each month from 1 to 5 p.m. Contact Kristina Abear at 320-532-7814 or kristina.abear@hhs.millelacsband-nsn.gov to sign up.