LATEST NEWS Home For The Holidays LoginSubscribe Newsletters Contact HOME NEWS EVENTS COMMUNITY LINKS PHOTOS ARCHIVES PONCA CITY MONTHLY World Mental Health Day: Mental Health in an Unequal World Thu, September 30, 2021Jaque Blackwell, Grand Lake Mental Health Clinic; Local mental health professionals supporting mental health awareness (left to right): Sierra McKinnon, LPC; Courtney Cline, School Counselor; Jaque Blackwell LPC candidate; and Brittany Valdez, Care Coordinator. The world is heavy. No matter where you are on this planet, I’m sure you can feel it – I know I can. What do you do when the world feels like it’s falling apart (literally) and the people on it feel like they are being divided? It’s hard. It doesn’t matter where you are on the socioeconomic ladder, what position you hold in life or what political side you are on, the world is facing difficult times. Last year, I completed graduate school. I don’t think there was a time I ever felt so accomplished, excited and scared out of my mind in my entire life (minus the time I birthed my child). I knew this was going to be a time for personal growth in many areas of my life, and I was confident in my career choice. During that time, we all know the world took a turn a lot of us never saw coming. I don’t think any of us saw that coming. The world stopped and at the same time it was going faster than our minds could process. Not only was there (and still is) a pandemic, but many others were also fighting for their human rights (and still are). In the process of getting under licensure to become a therapist, my colleagues and I couldn’t help but wonder what we got ourselves into. Are we ready to take this on? We were about to be flooded with people who have experienced trauma from everything happening in the world. What happens when we live under constant stress and anxiety? Well, I can probably write a ton of articles explaining the outcome, but for now, we will just talk about solutions. The World Health Organization recognizes World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 of every year. The theme this year is “Mental Health in an Unequal World.” Take a moment and think about what that means to you. To me, it means quite a few things. As an Asian American woman, that means that I am expected to work hard, no questions asked. I can’t show my own struggle because working hard is what I’m supposed to do. Believe me, I struggle and I wish that after all these years I could have been vulnerable in showing how much it has affected my own mental health. To me this year’s theme means that people in the LGBTQ+ community STILL have to fight for their rights. To me this means BIPOC are STILL discriminated just based on how they look. Mental health in an unequal world means that many people still don’t have access to mental health help due to many reasons whether that is lack of resources in their community or just the simple fact that receiving mental health help is deeply stigmatized. My lifelong goal is to help destigmatize mental health issues, to help others gain an understanding about mental disorders and to provide empathetic care to the youth and adults in our community. How can mental health be more accessible in an unequal world? Here in Ponca City, we have plenty of resources. One resource very close to me is Grand Lake Mental Health Center. Not only do they provide therapy for adults and children, but they also provide case management (housing, community resources and advocacy), recovery support specialists, nutritionists, medication management and family support. Grand Lake has also stepped up with providing iPads to each client. This has helped individuals who cannot make it to the clinic have 24/7 accessibility to a clinician in their time of need. What can you do to help break the stigma of mental health? I see and hear of people every day wanting to know what they can do to give a lending hand. While not everyone is a mental health clinician, I can see a world of change by simple tasks people can do in their everyday life. When I go into a store and am greeted with a smile not only from workers but from customers as well, that makes a world of difference to me especially on a bad day. Heck, even when someone gives me a quarter for a grocery cart at Aldi’s makes my day. When a friend is upset or has been “off” lately, a simple call or text may be what they need or a listening ear. Instead of judging someone for being in a bad mood, changing one’s thought process into something more empathetic can change the way a person reacts to them. Coming together as a community, even with simple gestures, can change an entire demeanor of not only an individual but I believe for our city too. While the world was being divided, here in Ponca City I noticed something different. Do you remember that crazy snowstorm in the beginning of the year? Temperatures were very low and had the potential to get dangerous quickly. It was so cold! Normally, when this happens, people jump to get the normal “emergency” stash at the store, but Ponca City didn’t do just that. I remember a business opening their doors for people to stay warm. I remember a city working together to gather supplies to ensure people did not go hungry and stayed warm. I remember people booking hotel rooms so families had a place to stay if their heaters went out. I remember COMMUNITY. Can you imagine what it would be like if we all woke up every day with the intention and thought of “how can I help my neighbor today?” We’ve all seen our city step up to the plate when times get tough. On World Mental Health Day, I encourage each and every one of you to do something kind. Take a moment and think about how you can help our community. Let’s learn to lean on each other when life gets too complicated because it’s too hard to do it alone. EVENTS 1 DEC Festival of Angels 06:00 PM - 10:00 PM Pioneer Woman Ponca City OK 74604 3 DEC Ponca City’s Annual Lighted Christmas Parade 06:00 PM - 07:00 PM Grand Avenue Ponca City OK 745601 3 DEC Lighted Christmas Parade & Christmas Open House Weekend (all weekend) All Day Event 100 block east grand Ponca City OK 74601 4 DEC Free Holiday Movies at The Hub 11:00 AM - 01:00 PM 16601 West South Avenue Tonkawa OK 74653 MORE EVENTS POPULAR RECENT 1 Stone Barn Story Enters a New Chapter 12/01/2020 2 Bird Scooters coming to Ponca City on September 27 09/16/2021 3 Four Ponca City Fighters Set to Compete this Weekend in Enid MMA Competition 07/29/2021 4 Debra Rue Tells the Untold Story of the 12 Pioneer Women Statues 03/13/2021 5 Business Spotlight: Hideaway Marina 08/01/2021 THIS WEEK'S POLL Do you plan to get vaccinated? Yes No Unsure After FDA Approval HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Previous Next Facebook Twitter Instagram About Us News USA Entertainment Technology Business Policies & Info Services Classifieds Directory Real Estate Events © Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved About | Contact | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions