Access to healthcare has been a challenge for many people even before the Covid-19 pandemic . And access to mental health services can present even bigger challenges . But that is coming into focus thanks to technological advances , generational changes and a little star power .
Pop star Selena Gomez recently announced plans to launch a new venture called Wondermind , which aims to connect people with educational resources to help end the stigma around mental illness .
Gomez ’ s effort is only the latest step in making mental health care open and available to people who need it , without the onus that many have faced in seeking help .
“ I think the shame around it is mostly gone , certainly for people in the younger generations ,” said Hollan Pugh , owner of Front Porch Counseling , a Daytona Beach-based provider of mental health services . “ It ’ s no longer an issue .”
Pugh said greater appreciation of mental health needs has made it easier for people to seek assistance , and it shows in the number of clients Front Porch Counseling serves .
“ We ’ ve been very busy ,” she said . “ In general people are having generalized anxiety disorder pretty much about
Hollan Pugh everything .” And the past two years have only exacerbated the rise in anxiety .
“ I think from the start of Covid people were incredibly isolated , lonely and scared ,” Pugh said . “ And as the country became polarized in terms of what to do about it , people who maybe had good foundational relationships with significant others , family members or friends found themselves sharing different opinions . That became its dynamic of struggle .”
Pugh said as mental health treatment becomes more socially acceptable , more people have sought help and there are a variety of techniques they can employ .
“ There are easy and effective tools to address difficult emotions that don ’ t require a therapist . My favorite is the emotional freedom technique ( EFT ),” she said . By gently tapping on various parts of the body ( face , torso and hands ) with compassionate attention to the emotion , we activate the acupressure points for emotions and simultaneously reduce the intensity of the emotion . This works for an emotion … anxiety , anger , sadness , shame or fear . People are amazed at how efficiently this works and there is no need to wait for a month to see a therapist or spend hundreds of dollars .”
“ Essentially you are connecting to the parts of the body that release emotions ,” Pugh said . “ When I teach people that , it is pretty incredible how quickly they can use it .”
JANUARY 2022 | 13 |