>>CORLEY PEEL: TODAY IS WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY AND IT’S A TIME TO SPOTLIGHT THE MENTAL
HEALTH SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE
TO BREAK DOWN THE STIGMA
THAT’S AROUND. THIS TOPIC IS
ESPECIALLY RELEVANT THIS YEAR
AS THE PANDEMIC HAS BROUGHT A
NEW SET OF CHALLENGES FOR
THOSE STRUGGLING WITH MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES.
>>CORLEY PEEL: COLLEEN
RODRIGUEZ IS THE EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR AT JEWISH FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES. SHE’S
JOINING US NOW THIS MORNING TO
TELL US HOW WE CAN BETTER
PROMOTE OUR MENTAL HOUSE AND
RECOGNIZE ANY WARNING SIGNS IN
OURSELVES AND OUR LOVED ONES
AND FIND RESOURCES IN OUR
COMMUNITY. GOOD MORNING,
COLLEEN.
>> GOOD MORNING. THANKS FOR
HAVING ME.
>>CORLEY PEEL: WHAT IS WORLD
MENTAL HEALTH DAY ALL ABOUT
AND WHY IS IT IS ESPECIALLY
IMPORTANT THIS YEAR.
>> REALLY, IT’S A DAY FOR US
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT MENTAL
HEALTH IS IMPORTANT THAT WE
ALL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH. WE
TALK ABOUT OUR PHYSICAL HEALTH
ALL THE TIME. THIS IS THIS IS
A DAY TO REALLY SAY. IT’S
IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE TAKING
CARE OF OURSELVES EMOTIONALLY
AND THAT WE’RE TAKING CARE OF
THOSE AROUND US EMOTIONALLY.
THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. AND AS
WE’RE KIND OF INCHING TOWARDS
MAYBE SOME NORMALCY, WE NEED
TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE HEALTH
IMPACT IT IN THE PAST SEVERAL
YEARS HOW WE’RE GOING TO HELP
OURSELVES MOVING FORWARD.
>> AND WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO TO
BETTER ADDRESS THEIR MENTAL
HEALTH TODAY?
>> I THINK THEY HAVE TO PAY
ATTENTION TO US. ARE THEY
FEELING DIFFERENT? WHAT DOES
THAT LOOK LIKE? ARE THEY
SLEEPING THE SAME? ARE THEY
EATING THE SAME? ARE THEY
INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE THE
SAME? ARE THEY FEELING
DISCONNECTED HAVING ONE OF
THOSE THINGS IS AN ALARMING.
BUT IF YOU’RE STARTING TO FEEL
LIKE THERE’S SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE IN THE WAY YOU’RE
YOU’RE BEHAVING ITS FIRST
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT MAYBE YOU
NEED ASSISTANCE AND THEN DOING
THE SAME FOR THOSE THAT YOU’RE
LIVING WITH AND THAT YOU’RE
INTERACTING WITH US.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND YOU
MENTIONED LOVED ONES. WHAT CAN
WE DO TO HELP THOSE THAT WE
MIGHT CONSUME BE CONCERNED
ABOUT THEIR MENTAL HEALTH?
>> YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE DIRECT
CONVERSATION. I’VE NOTICE
CHANGES IN YOU WORRIED ABOUT
YOU. HOW ARE YOU? AND REALLY A
LOT OF TIMES WE ASKED PEOPLE
HOW THEY ARE, BUT ASKING THAT
ACTUALLY WAIT AND GET A
RESPONSE. AND THEN GIVE THEM
SUPPORT. THERE’S NO JUDGMENT
AND NEEDING HELP. WE DON’T
JUDGE EACH OTHER. WHEN WE GO
TO THE DOCTOR, THERE SHOULD BE
NO JUDGMENT AND SEEKING OUT
MENTAL HEALTH AND HELPING OUR
LOVED ONES FIND THAT CARE THAT
THEY NEED.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND YOU
MENTIONED SAYING, ARE YOU OK?
I MEAN, I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES
OUR INSTINCT WHEN PEOPLE ASKED
U K YOU JUST SAY, YEAH, I’M
FINE. SO HOW CAN WE BETTER
APPROACH SOMEONE SPECIFICALLY
IF WE SEE SOME SORT OF CHANGE
TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE OK
OR THAT THEY CAN SPEAK ABOUT
WHAT THEY MIGHT BE GOING
THROUGH.
>> I THINK AGAIN, IT’S BEING
DIRECT. YOU’RE SAYING THAT
YOU’RE OK, BUT I KNOW THING
THAT YOU HAVEN’T PHONE CALLS,
IT SEEMS LESS INTERACTIVE. I
WOULD TELL THEM WHAT YOUR
KNOWLEDGE, WHAT THE CHANGES
ARE SAYING IN THEIR BEHAVIOR.
SO IT’S NOT JUST A MINUTE
EXCEPTED. OKAY. AND THEN IF
YOU CAN KNOW SOME RESOURCES IN
YOUR COMMUNITY TO SHARE WITH
THEM, THAT’S HELPFUL AS WELL.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND AGAIN, WHAT
ARE SOME SPECIFIC WARNING
SIGNS THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING
THAT WE SHOULD KEEP IN THE
BACK OF OUR MINDS. AND, YOU
KNOW, TAKE NOTE OF.
>> SWEEPING CHANGES IN
SLEEPING CHANGES IN EATING
CHANGES IN MOOD.
>> WHICH LESS INTERACTION WITH
OTHERS, NOT WANTING TO
INTERACTION, INTERACT WITH
OTHERS. OF COURSE, IF YOU’RE
DRINKING MORE THAN USUAL ARE
USING SUBSTANCES, THAT CAN BE
A CONCERN. SO IT’S IT’S JUST
SUCH A REAL CHANGE IN A
PERSON’S BEHAVIOR FROM WHAT
THEY’RE NORMALLY LIKED, HOW
THEY’RE BEHAVING NOW.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND WHAT ARE
SOME RESOURCES WHEN SOMEONE
DOES KNOW TO SET SOMETHING
THAT MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT. HOW
CAN PEOPLE GET HELP?
>> SO JUST FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES ABSOLUTELY
HAVE THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
OVER 30 THERAPIST THAT WILL
WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS,
FAMILIES AND COUPLES. IF
THEY’RE COMFORTABLE ABOUT
THAT, I WANT TO SEEK HELP TO
YOUR DOCTOR. MANY PHYSICIANS
WILL NO OTHER THERAPISTS
WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. YOU CAN
GO TO YOUR INSURANCE INSURANCE
WILL TELL YOU. THERAPISTS ARE
COVERED BY THEIR PLAN. LOTS OF
AVENUES TO WHAT A PLACE TO
SEEK HELP UNITED WAY HAS 2, 1,
ONE, WHICH IS A RESOURCE GUIDE
FOR ALL SERVICES IN NORTHEAST
FLORIDA. THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER
AVENUE.
>>CORLEY PEEL: ALL RIGHT. THIS
IS GREAT INFORMATION. THANK