Tag - mental health services

09 Sep

National Suicide Prevention Month

What is it?

September is the month designated to draw awareness and attention to major public health concern of suicide. Suicide is among the leading causes of death in the US. Over the past 20 years, suicide rates have been on the rise in every state in the US but Nevada, according to the CDC. In 2017, the CDC found there were more than twice as many suicides in the US as there were homicides. Millions of others have serious thoughts of suicide, have made plans or have attempted to end their life. The American Association for Suicide estimates, based on information from 2016, there’s a suicide attempt every 28 seconds.

What You Can Do?

Although there’s no single cause of suicide, one of the risk factors is social isolation. Reach out to people, engage them in conversation, help them know they aren’t alone. Steps we can all take to assist those in crisis:

  1. Ask direct questions. Ask directly if they are thinking about suicide
  2. Listen to their answers. People with suicidal thoughts often feel alone, so be sure to let them know you care about what they have to say. Acknowledging and talking about suicide may reduce rather than increase suicidal thoughts.
  3. Do a safety check/keep them safe. Ask the person if they have a plan. Then try removing or disabling things they could harm themselves with such as alcohol, drugs, medications, weapons, sharps and even access to a car.
  4. Don’t keep a secret/help them connect. Let them know you’ll help them come up with a plan that involves telling a professional who can utilize the many services and resources available to help.
  5. Stay connected. Staying in touch after a crisis or after being d/c from care can make a difference. Studies show suicide deaths go down when someone follow up with at risk person.

If you know someone in crisis call lifeline 1 800 273 8255 or text the crisis text line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24-7. The deaf and hard of hearing can call via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential.

If you find yourself struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts, we are here to help. Please consider reaching out to us. We’re in your corner.

Written by,
Kandee Willis, LCPC

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26 Aug

August Clinicians Connect

As a way to get to know the staff at Riverwalk at little better, we will be featuring a different clinician each month and talking about them. This month’s Clinician Connect is:

Dan Novak, Intensive Outpatient Coordinator

Dan began his internship at Riverwalk Counseling Center in May of 2018 while completing his Master’s of Clinical Psychology degree at Benedictine University. Coming on board as a clinician after completing his internship, he continued to grow his passion for the field of counseling and is very motivated to help his clients by going the extra mile to meet their needs. He is eager to meet every challenge that meets him and takes great pride in his work.

1. What influenced you to become a therapist?

“I became interested in helping others when I was a child. I grew up with an older brother who has special needs, and at a very young age quickly realized how poorly the world sometimes treats those of us who are different. My desire to advocate for, help, and protect him lead me down a path of eventually becoming a therapist.”

2. What did you do prior to your current role?

“I spent almost 19 years in the business world, but always believed there was something else out there for me. When my dad died of cancer in 2013, I decided to leave the business world and go back to college and pursue the career I always wanted as a child. I competed my bachelors is Psychology in 2016, my master’s in clinical psychology in 2019, and began working as a therapist in June of 2019.”

3. In what ways do you engage in self-care, including hobbies and leisure activities?

“Self-care is something everyone should engage in. I love sports, spending time outside, and hanging out with family and friends. One of my favorite hobbies, playing golf, combines these all three of activities and allows me to clear my mind for 4-5 hours. Laughter is another self-care activity I love to engage in. Whether it’s quoting a funny movie, telling a bad joke, or sharing a funny story. I truly believe laughter can often be the best medicine.”

4. What is a fun fact about you?

“I was ranked 19th in the state of Illinois in men’s one-meter springboard diving my senior year of high school.”

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05 Feb

How To Find A Mental Health Clinic That Supports Women’s Individual Recovery Needs

Finding an intensive outpatient program that fits your needs can be an overwhelming task; seeking help in itself is a difficult first step. However, finding a mental health clinic that stresses the importance of tailoring its program and curriculum to the needs of its clients can have a substantial impact on the therapeutic experience. In the Naperville, Wheaton, Aurora and DuPage County areas, this can be especially difficult.

Focusing on the treatment of substance use, both time and research have demonstrated to us that the disease does not discriminate based on an individual’s age, race, sex, or socioeconomic status. Yet, when the treatment is best fitted to that individual’s needs and background, it can be more effective in producing a successful outcome. Further examining the differences in the treatment of substance use between men and women, we can denote that while the destination of addiction is the same, the journey can be quite different for each one with different dynamics playing a significant role in recovery.  For example, factor such as self-esteem, guilt, shame, body image, or self-care can add another layer of complexity to recovery for women and can create a positive wave in treatment if addressed and processed. For mental health clinics that provide treatment to individuals that suffer from substance use and addiction, it is crucial to take these factors into consideration in order to best help them.

Riverwalk’s intensive outpatient program for women is one of those programs. We understand that women’s needs can differ from men’s when it comes to treatment. Providing an environment of care that is structured, safe, and gender specific can make a significant impact on the success of treatment as well as develop an atmosphere that nurtures recovery.

 

Ali Elrehaimy, MS
Jumpstart Coordinator/Compliance Officer
Riverwalk Counseling Center, Inc.

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14 May

Mental Health Stigma

Awareness of mental health issues has come a long way in the last several years, but it can still go further. While the stigma has been decreasing with time, individuals who are struggling with their mental health have become more open about seeking the appropriate help. This is an indicator of steps being taken in the right direction, both by the individual and by society. Just as we go to medical professionals to maintain our physical health, it should be just as normal to go to a therapist to maintain our mental health. Imagine if there had been a stigma about going to the physician for our physical health, a dentist for our dental health, or an optometrist for our vision health; our health would quickly deteriorate rather than seeking the necessary help. So why is it that when it comes to mental health, there is this great reluctance to get the help that is needed?

Our mental health is often neglected because it is not seen as a priority or something that could have a serious impact on other aspects of our life. However, it does. In fact, the mind’s health can affect the remainder of the body in countless ways from how we feel to what we do, you know, chemical releases in the brain and stuff. Have you ever noticed how when you are feeling upset you feel a lack of energy, you can’t focus on, you don’t feel like eating, or your sleep is affected? Or when you feel anxious, you begin feeling your heart race, your thoughts race, or you can’t think? I guess the point is that our mental health is very important because it can affect us in many ways and potentially negatively affecting those around us too; kind of like the flu and nobody likes that.

I was recently talking with a friend about mental health awareness and we compared a specific mental illness, such as depression, to a physical illness, such as an ulcer. If an individual feels a pain in their abdomen or side that’s consistently getting worse, they are not going to ignore it. They will most likely get it checked out or look up their symptoms on google first, but regardless of their first step they acknowledged that there is an issue and considered a solution. Now say the same individual is instead feeling irritated, can’t sleep, finds himself over eating, constantly preoccupied, and has just lost interest in everything; being unaware of mental health might allow this person to just ignore these issues and try to muddle through day after day, possibly getting worse. The key here, in this over-worded comparison, is knowledge. Through raising awareness and education, people can become more knowledgeable about mental health, their mental health. They can learn to detect problems related to their mental health just like they detect issues with their physical health.

Recognizing that you need to seek mental health services should not be any more embarrassing than getting your teeth cleaned at the dentist, unless he asks you about your flossing habits. It is not an admission of weakness, nor is it an admission of insanity; it is simply an admission that there is a better solution for a problem than ignoring it.

Ali Elrehaimy

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