Making An Impact is a column authored by members of the Community Impact Team (CIT). The Transcript publishes these articles periodically to inform our readers about the resources and free programming available to people of all ages in our community through the CIT’s efforts.
Since 1949, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has recognized May as Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, NAMI’s theme for the month of May is “Taking the Moment” and is designed to encourage community members to have discussions around mental health in order to curate further understanding and awareness.
The Community Impact Team (CIT) encourages North Reading community members to “take the moment” and engage in discussions that contribute to spreading awareness and decreasing mental health stigma.
“While it is important for these discussions to be happening year-round, NAMI choosing the ‘Taking the Moment’ theme for this May is an excellent opportunity to highlight the dialogue even more,” North Reading’s Mental Health and Substance Abuse Clinician Laura Miranda states. “Having conversations about signs, symptoms, and how to start discussions if you recognize concerns in others is a great place to start.”
Changes in sleep, appetite, mood and social functioning all can be warning signs that someone may be entering or is already in a mental health crisis.
“A shift in someone’s typical behavior is something to take note of,” Miranda continued. “If someone starts sleeping less or sleeping more, over-engaging or disengaging from social activities, or just doing things outside of their ‘norm,’ that is when loved ones can start to think about having conversations or check-ins.”
Miranda noted that starting these conversations could be challenging, especially if the observer doesn’t know where to begin.
“It is always helpful to initiate the check-in by bringing up your own observations or feelings, instead of bluntly stating the changes the person has made,” she continued. “Consider starting with, ‘Do you have a minute? I want to check-in with you about some things I’ve noticed that have been making me feel concerned.’”
Miranda emphasized capitalizing on NAMI’s Mental Health Month theme and taking the moment to express your concerns to your loved one.
Mental Health America (MHA) encourages the observer to listen to their loved one, avoid being judgmental about their response, and to take them seriously. MHA also advises you to make yourself available to speak to the loved one again if and when they need to. North Reading Youth Substance Coalition Chair Jen Ford states the importance of getting ahead of these conversations and addressing the concerns as soon as possible.
“As with so much of the work we do, early intervention is essential,” said Ford. “The earlier we express our concerns, the better. It’s natural to be uncomfortable if we are concerned with someone’s mental health or safety, yet it’s critical to pay attention, listen to our gut, and be direct when checking in with the person. They’ll either let us know they’re okay or we’ll connect them with proper resources and support, potentially preventing a tragedy. Either way, we’ll break the silence and isolation that far too often accompanies a mental health challenge or crisis.”
Resources and referrals are available to all town residents. For more information contact Laura Miranda at 978-357-5038 or lmiranda@nrpd.org.
For information on community workshops and related events offered by the CIT, go to www.northreadingma.gov/cit and click “Events.”
