We Are One
Posted by Improving Lives Counseling | Articles
“Any good therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.” Although often disputed, most attribute these words to Stephen Grellet, a Quaker Missionary. As we shroud the New Year in a long list of resolutions and goals, seek opportunities and accept challenges, remember, as a people, we are one. The physically and psychologically challenged, the handicapped and mentally ill, the very old and the very young need us today more so than ever before. The social, economic, political, and cultural divisiveness of 2017 directly affected the most vulnerable among us. Television and the movies made mental illness a go to theme in 2017. Television’s “This Is Us” depicted stress, anxiety, drug abuse, and a “rather accurate description of a mental breakdown”. The Netflix series, “13 Reasons Why” made teen suicide a nationwide discussion – albeit a controversial one. We saw the number of adults with behavioral disorders, mental illness, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and PTSD increase. These immediate and extended family members, neighbors, and friends need our support. Improving Lives Counseling Services’ mission is to assist individuals in reaching their full potential. Our team of professional counselors and therapists diagnosis and treat behavioral disorders, anxiety, depression, and mental illness. Through our holistic, strengths-based model of therapy and peripheral services, we encourage and empower improvement in all areas of a patient’s life.
“No man is an island, no man stands alone, each man’s joy is joy to me, each man’s grief is my own. We need one another, so I will defend, each man as my brother, each man as my friend.”
As one nation, we are one people. In 2018, our mentally challenged must get the help and care they deserve. “Annually, an average of 18.29% of adults struggle with a mental health problem. In 2017, this number equaled 43.7 million Americans. The estimated number of adults with serious suicidal thoughts was 9.4 million individuals. These are our mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, grandparents and friends. Abuse of illicit drugs and alcohol, thoughts of suicide, behavioral disorders, mental illness, and depression can be treated. Kennedy said, “Just because we cannot see clearly the end of the road, that is no reason for not setting out on the essential journey.”
2017 saw the growth of Improving Lives Counseling Services. New offices enable us to expand our reach and better serve the 21.6% of adults 18 and over, who reported a mental illness in the past year. This number fails to include those who refuse care due to the social stigma attached to mental illness, the elderly, and the homeless. These are our people too, and like those closest to us, their joy must be our joy, and their grief “our own.” They walk among us and beside us – they are our co-workers, our neighbors, and friends. There is a cost to not reaching out – a cost to not caring.
What can you do? How can you make a difference? You can help by recognizing the signs of mental health problems and schedule mental health check-ups for family members. You can talk to family and friends about mental health, encourage a loved one to talk to a mental health counselor or therapist, and offer to accompany them at a couples, family, or group session. If a family member is diagnosed with mental illness, support them, listen to their story, share your own, and let Improving Lives Counseling Services help. We provide high quality counseling services in a professional, non-judgmental, supportive, and friendly environment.
Our focus is on you. We are here for you – ready to listen, roll up our sleeves, and help you solve the problems in your life. Your comfort, health, and goals are our priority; we do not believe in simply “going through the motions.” Every second you spend with a counselor of Improving Lives Counseling Services will be time spent on your future. Let’s make 2018 the year we show kindness, the year we show support for those on a “journey of healing”, the year we acknowledge our common values, and, despite the divisiveness and discord, that we are one. Call us to learn more.
