“Mental health is not a destination but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” –Noam Shpancer. The Biden Administration has taken the initiative to bring wellness and mental health justice forward with the national emergency for Americans. This move promises significant benefits, made possible with billions of dollars worth of investments provided by the American Rescue Plan. This means that millions of people will be provided the necessary care they need, when they need it without visits or consultation fees normally associated with these treatments. 

Improving Lives: The Specifics of The National Mental Health Emergency 

The specifics of the national mental health emergency are clear – the United States needs a renewed focus on promoting and maintaining good mental health for its citizens. Whitehouse.gov reports that the President’s FY23 budget takes those steps, with over $27 billion in discretionary funding and another $100 billion in mandatory funds to combat this crisis. These investments offer an unprecedented opportunity to increase access to mental healthcare as well as help states enhance their crisis call center services. Not only that, but there is also money specifically set aside to benefit AANHPI communities with behavioral health care services for them. That includes allocating resources directly towards schools so they can provide much needed medical attention for students of all ages. In addition, other investments are going towards building capacity when it comes to expanding the nation’s limited number of mental health professionals, creating healthier environments that prevent potential issues from happening among fellow Americans, and giving young people the necessary support they need while making societies safer. All these steps are paramount in order to tackle the current mental health woes head-on – the government is creating sustainable solutions and approaches lasting long beyond into the future. Last but not least, the President plans to take further steps towards raising awareness through public campaigns advocating allocation of resources available to people struggling with negative thoughts while also strengthening mental health systems for both children and adults. 

Mind Matters: Nurturing Personal Mental Health and Identifying When to Act

Taking care of your mental health in times of struggle is essential. Whether it be during these unprecedented times, or a more regular occurrence, there are certain actions and signs to look out for to ensure well being, as highlighted by nimh.nih.gov. Some of these signs include change in mood or behavior lasting two weeks or more, difficulty functioning in day-to-day life, struggling to eat and sleep right, experiencing thoughts of harm alongside an inability to cope. Mental health issues can easily spiral out of control if left undetected and can even cause your overall physician health to deteriorate. Oral health for instance, often goes unmentioned in individuals who are dealing with mental issues. More often than not, these individuals, who neglected such basics find themselves visiting an emergency dentist because they’d let their dental issues go on for too long. 

 But there are some methods to help cope with the situation. Ensure getting 10 minutes of meditation daily, setting up healthy bedtime patterns like getting 8 hours of sleep, reaching out for emotional support, talking openly about your fears, challenges and hurdles; expressing yourself safely -without fear of judgment or stigma. It doesn’t have to be hard sitting down for meaningful conversations (even on text chat or video call, whatever works!). If you need more specialist assistance, book an appointment with either skilled counselors or psychologists. You should tell them how recent events are impacting your current state – they’ll know better which therapeutic tailored approaches best suit each individual depending on type level/intensity or symptoms being experienced.

When it comes to taking care of personal mental health, one step at a time is all that’s needed. Make time for yourself each day; allow yourself to just “BE YOU.”