Making Mind and Body Whole

Making MIND and BODY WHOLE

One of the most challenging issues in health care is mental illness. What does it take to heal a person’s mind, change their outlook on life and set them on a path to feeling whole?

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 26 percent of American adults ages 18 and older—more than one in four—suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder each year. That’s 53.9 million people according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Diagnosis and treatment can be difficult because people can be affected in nearly 300 ways.

Some of the most common disorders are substance abuse, such as alcohol use; psychotic disorders, such as schizophrenia; mood disorders, major depression, or bipolar; personality disorders, such as narcissism; stress-related disorders, such as post-traumatic stress; and neurodevelopment disorders, such as autism. Many suffer with multiple disorders.

Harmful Consequences

The importance of treatment cannot be overstated. These disorders can lead to chronic physical illness, impaired thought processes, unhealthy habits such as a poor diet and lack of exercise and an increased risk of suicide or self-harm.

More than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023; that’s one death every 11 minutes, and 1.5 million attempted suicides according to the Center for Disease Control. These numbers highlight the importance of addressing mental health issues promptly. Making a mental health diagnosis can be as normal as visiting a family physician.

The landscape of mental health care encompasses a spectrum of services spanning from therapy to counseling, medications, crisis intervention and others.

Don Fortin, who retired after 52 years of practice as a plastic surgeon, underwent Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) and says that since his treatment this has been the

“happiest time of my life.”

Understanding mental health care is not solely about recognizing symptoms but appreciating the importance of early intervention and ongoing support. It involves the interconnectedness of mental, emotional and physical well-being.

Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all solution; it is a personalized journey toward self-discovery and healing.

The Burden of Stigma

Perhaps the biggest barrier that keeps people from seeking help is a lack of understanding of the therapeutic process and the stigma often associated with it.

Stigma manifests in various forms, from social stereotypes to self-shaming. It contributes to feelings of shame and isolation, preventing individuals from seeking the help they need.

Silencing stigma requires concerted efforts to break down societal barriers.

One effective strategy is the promotion of open dialogues about mental health in various settings— schools, workplaces and community forums. By encouraging conversation, myths can be dispelled and environments created in which individuals feel comfortable seeking the support they need.

Uang Shah, MD, MPH, medical director of behavioral health at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission, says normalizing the diagnosis and treatment of mental health issues requires a multifaceted approach. Some of the strategies include education; public awareness to reduce stigmas and myths, encouraging open conversations about mental health to overturn stereotypes and misconceptions, and promoting mental health literacy with helpful resources about the patient’s conditions, symptoms and treatment options. Another important aspect is access to care, increasing health care that’s affordable and culturally sensitive.

Operating for more than 50 years, the Behavioral Health Assessment Center (BHAC) at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission provides no-cost psychiatric assessments, eliminating a major barrier in diagnosing and treating patients. In 2024, the behavioral health center provided 7,300 assessments and 1,900 inpatient services.

Another facility offering an array of services for mental disorders is AdventHealth Porter, which has served its community for 95 years. the behavioral health hub of AdventHealth's Rocky Mountain Region provides care for more than 10,000 patients a year. AdventHealth Porter's treatment include crisis assessment, psychiatric services, electric convulsive therapy and others.

Testimonies

For some, mental health treatment might seem scary. But a little education and counseling from compassionate health care providers can ease the anxiety.

One example of this is Don Fortin, who retired after 52 years of practice as a plastic surgeon. He underwent Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), which is a a type of brain simulation therapy that sends painless electric pulses to your brain while under anesthesia, five years ago. “Finding myself hospitalized for six weeks with no progress, I was introduced to ECT.

Since my treatments, this has been the happiest time of my life—and I’m almost 78.

That says something. The care, concern and compassion I received from the ECT team at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission was wonderful. There was never any judgement; I think I judged myself and then was met with encouragement.”

J. Douglas Cusick, MD, surgeon at AdventHealth, and his wife, Barbara, who serves on the hospital and foundation board, also had an experience with mental health treatment after they returned home from vacation and found their son in a mental health crisis. He had attempted suicide. Barbara says,

“I asked myself, who do I call. Imagine, I’m on the hospital and foundation board and I’m asking, ‘Who do I call?”

Her son was admitted to BHACE for assessment. “They have an acute care unit and also the ability to continue with counseling, care and oversight of medications,” Dr. Cusick says. “It’s the family that helped us through this. AdventHealth helped facilitate that. They want the family to be active in the counseling and therapy sessions. We had a wonderful experience with this. It helped bring our family closer together."

“When many health care facilities have scaled back or eliminated psychiatric services, often because of financial constraints and reimbursement, AdventHealth continues to make a powerful and commendable contribution to serving its community,” says Rennie Shuler-McKinney, LCP, administrative director of behavioral health.

“This dedication not only demonstrates commitment, but an understanding that mental health is inseparable from overall health. The dedicated teams are not just maintaining a service, they are providing hope whole person.”

Carlos Medley is a freelance writer for AdventHealth.

https://therapycentral.us/blog/ normalizing-mental-healthcare-breaking-the-stigma