May is national Mental Health Awareness Month, and at W.A.G.S. 4 Kids, we take every opportunity we can to bring awareness to and educate others about mental health.
We can all work together to become more educated, provide better support, and lower the stigma associated with mental health worldwide. We need to educate ourselves on mental health now more than ever due to the extreme uprising in mental illness worldwide because of COVID-19. In fact, studies show that COVID-19 has elevated anxiety levels as well as depression. At W.A.G.S. 4 Kids, we have seen applications for children living with mental health diagnoses triple in the last year. Because of this drastic increase in demand for psychiatric service dogs, we wanted to take a few moments to briefly educate readers on psyciatric service dogs and mental health.
Mental Health and Service Dogs
Psychiatric service dogs are dogs that are task trained to assist their handler who has been diagnosed with a mental condition. This can consist of diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other conditions.
Psyciatric service dogs can aid their handlers in a variety of ways to reduce anxiety and other undesirable symptoms, including (but not limited to):
- Providing tactile stimulation
- Interrupting unhealthy behaviors
- Providing body contact
- Giving deep-pressure stimulation
These service dogs can also help their partner feel more confident, independent, and safe, allowing them to partake in more opportunities and creating greater possibilities for their future.
Psychiatric service dogs are considered service dogs and are granted the same liberties and accessability as another service dog - such as a mobility service dog - would be offered. This is different than an emotional support dog or therapy dog (see image below).
Caring for Mental Health Diagnoses
Psychiatric service dogs are supplements to mental health treatment - they are not cures and shouldn't be used as a stand-alone treatment for mental health. This is why, when we place a psychiatric service dog, we want to ensure that the child is also being regularly treated by a therapist.
Improving mental health begins with connecting yourself or your child with the right resources needed to succeed. Caring for your mental health can range anywhere from practicing self care (such as eating healthy, going to bed at a reasonable time, getting regular exercise, meditating, etc.) to seeking help from a therapist or other qualified medical professional.
The medical professional who has diagnosed or is caring for your child will help you determine whether incorporating a service dog into your child's treatment is be beneficial.
How To Help Someone Who Is Struggling
The most important gift that 2020 may have given us is its shared trauma that broke the stigma and ended the silence around mental health. No matter your age, race, or gender - millions of people in the U.S. live with a mental health condition with 1 in 3 diagnosed with a brain or mental health condition since the start of the pandemic. You are likely to encounter people with a mental illness in your family or in your daily life. However, if you are unsure of how best to approach someone who may be struggling, these tips may help.
- Talk to them in a space that is comfortable, where you won’t likely be interrupted and where there are likely minimal distractions.
- Ease into the conversation, gradually. It may be that the person is not in a place to talk, and that is OK. Greeting them and extending a gentle kindness can go a long way. Sometimes less is more.
- Be sure to speak in a relaxed and calm manner.
- Communicate in a straightforward manner and stick to one topic at a time.
- Be respectful, compassionate and empathetic to their feelings by engaging in reflective listening, such as “I hear that you are having a bad day today. Yes, some days are certainly more challenging than others. I understand.”
- Instead of directing the conversation at them with ‘you’ statements, use ‘I’ statements instead.
- Be a good listener, be responsive and make eye contact with a caring approach.
- Ask them appropriate questions and avoid prying.
- Give them the opportunity to talk and open up but don’t press.
- Share some easy insights as a way of encouraging easy conversation, such as comments about the weather, the community or other.
- Reduce any defensiveness by sharing your feelings and looking for common ground.
- Speak at a level appropriate to their age and development level. Keep in mind that mental illness has nothing to do with a person’s intelligence.
- Be aware of a person becoming upset or confused by your conversation with them.
- Show respect and understanding for how they describe and interpret their symptoms.
- Genuinely express your concern.
- Offer your support and connect them to help if you feel that they need it. Ask, “How can I help?” if appropriate, or even, “Can I pray with you now?” if appropriate.
- Give the person hope for recovery, offer encouragement and prayers.
Things to Avoid Saying:
- “Just pray about it.”
- “You just need to change you’re attitude.”
- “Stop harping on the negative, you should just start living.”
- “Everyone feels that way sometimes.”
- “You have the same illness as my (whoever).”
- “Yes, we all feel a little crazy now and then.”
Things to Avoid Doing:
- Criticizing blaming or raising your voice at them.
- Talking too much, too rapidly, too loudly. Silence and pauses are ok.
- Showing any form of hostility towards them.
- Assuming things about them or their situation.
- Being sarcastic or making jokes about their condition.
- Patronizing them or saying anything condescending.
Know your limits. Ask for help if the problem is serious. If you believe they are in immediate danger or have injuries that need medical attention - you need to take action to make sure they are safe.
Building a #StigmaFreeCLE All Year
Cleveland is rich with awesome non-profits! W.A.G.S. 4 Kids is proud to support NAMI of Greater Cleveland and their #StigmaFreeCLE campaign working to end stigma related to mental illness and substance use disorders. They are joined by over 30 mental health and addiction service providers across Cuyahoga County all working towards this same goal: to end stigma in the community so that everyone can access treatment, feel supported and live their best life. We invite you to join us!
Here are 7 ways you can help end stigma in our community:
1. Talk about mental health and addiction. Talking about mental illness and substance use disorders will help grow community-wide understanding.
2. Learn about mental health and addiction. Mental illness and substance use disorders are complex medical conditions, and there’s always more to learn.
3. Listen without judgement. Everyone’s experience with mental illness and substance use disorders is different, and everyone’s story matters.
4. Share your story. Do you have a mental illness or substance use disorder? If so, one way you can help create a #StigmaFreeCLE is by sharing your story when you’re ready. It could help others.
5. Reach out for help. Are you struggling with a mental health or substance use issue? You’re not alone and help is available.
- Call the NAMI Greater Cleveland Helpline at 1-216-875-7776.
- In a crisis, text “NAMI” to 741741 for 24/7, confidential, free crisis counseling.
- Call Cuyahoga County’s 24-Hour Suicide Prevention, Mental Health/Addiction Crisis, Information & Referral Hotline: 216-623-6888.
6. Support each other. If you know someone who is struggling with a mental illness or substance use disorder just be there to listen and support them in any way you can.
7. Share these messages. We’ll be sharing these simple ways we can all help end stigma, support each other and reach out for help. Please follow #StigmaFreeCLE and share our posts to help us reach more people in the community with these important messages. If your organization would like to help share these messages, please utilize the toolkit below. Together, we can create a #StigmaFreeCLE!
This year, let us all work together to further educate ourselves and provide support to those with mental illness. Remember to practice self care and self love. You and everyone around you have worth, a purpose, and deserve respect. Have open and honest conversations and check in with your friends and family. We can all do our part to end the stigma around sucide and mental health.
*NAMI: https://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/NAMI-FaithNet/Tips-For-How-to-Help-a-Person-with-Mental-Illness
**NAMI: https://namigreatercleveland.org/covid-19-1-in-3-diagnosed-with-brain-or-mental-health-condition/
***NAMI: https://namigreatercleveland.org/get-involved/stigmafreecle-collaborative-community-awareness-campaign/