Turning Blind Eye To Mental Health Issues Causes More Problems

April 06--Fearing and ignoring mental-health issues are grave missteps in life.

Instead of turning a blind eye to one's mental struggles, people should extend a neighborly hand to those who grapple emotionally, said Jim West, CEO of Western Arkansas Counseling & Guidance Center.

"The mental-health professionals can't be everywhere all of the time, unfortunately," said West. "That, and with our population expanding, it's easier to train people who come into contact with people who have mental-health issues.

"We want those in law enforcement, nurses, teachers and other professionals to be trained," he added. "We're hoping that many people in the community will be trained to recognize an individual with developing mental-health issues."

WACGC will sponsor "Mental Health First Aid USA," a national certification course designed to help communities better understand and properly respond to those with mental illness, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.April 23 at the Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 S. M St. This training course will feature training by David Duerr and Rob Strange, certified mental-health staff from the Northwest Arkansas-based Ozark Guidance.

"We want family members and those who care for people with mental-health issues to learn how to better deal with the issues," said West, who has worked as mental health professional for 40 years. "This will be a great, needed event for our community."

The course will help individuals recognize the warning signs of mental-health issues via lectures and video presentations, he said.

"These signs can be confusion and, sometimes, it can be defiance by the person experiencing mental issues," West said. "Defiance can be a sign demonstrated by someone who is frightened."

The course also will offer role-playing instruction, said Joni Padilla, WACGC coordinator of marketing and community relations.

"I attended the course last year, and it was a great educational experience," she said. "We had about 20 people participate last year, and this will be the second time we've hosted this event."

Mental Health First Aid USA also will address how many people often misinterpret mental-health activity from both strangers and family members alike, West said.

"Sometimes people misinterpret one's activity for criminal activity," he said. "That person often isn't trying to participate in any criminal activity on purpose, but someone in law enforcement or other people people might not realize that."

The individual in question might not be aware he or she is acting a way that is perceived as "peculiar" or seemingly dangerous, West said.

"When a major crisis in our country occurs, such as a shooting, the person often is identified as having mental illness," he said. "Then, there's an outcry for funding to help, but sometimes, unfortunately, the funding goes away, so the need or issue isn't addressed.

"And after an unfortunate incident, you'll hear people say things like, 'That person must have some type of mental illness,' and, 'Why didn't someone help that person before?'" West added. "We hope things like Mental Health First Aid USA event helps."

The national push from mental-health professionals for society to better understand mental-health issues started about 10 years ago, with more training courses and similar programs taking place each year, he said.

"The move to address this actually started in Australia, and we tell people the things they shouldn't do," West said. "Ignoring the person with issues, or being afraid of that person, is bad. If a person seems to be talking to himself or herself or is hearing voices, the other person might have the tendency to walk away, but that's not right."

Listening and communicating in a sympathetic, non-judgmental way are ideal ways in getting another person help, he said. Knowing a community's resources for helping those with mental issues also is recommended, West said.

"I'd say that at least 10 percent of the population includes people with mental-health issues," he said. "The causes for this can be from emotional stress, such as the loss of a loved one.

"But that doesn't mean that it's always a long-term, mental-health issue," West added. "Sometimes, a loss of a loved one can cause a temporary issue with a person."

Other incidents of mental-health issues can stem from a loss of a job, he said.

"Economic stress does happen, when there's fewer jobs but more expenses for families," West said.

West and other organizers for Mental Health First Aid USA are hoping the event draws a diverse group.

"We want people from different cultures to attend -- people who speak different languages -- because cultures do differ sometimes," West said. "We want to equip people to be able to ask the right questions without offending someone in their respective culture. We don't want anything to come across as, or be perceived, as inappropriate or offensive to another culture."

West and Padilla said they hope to see MHFAU courses happen every other month in the area.

"We want people to become more of a self-support group," West said. "Maybe by attending this course, those people can avoid a lot of the stress and costs when it comes to mental-health issues."

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