(LEX 18) — May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It is a time in which we look at how issues with mental health affect people every day. When someone is struggling with their mental health, resources need to be available, and here in Kentucky, we rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to care.
According to Mental Health America, Kentucky is ranked 24th in access, 27th in adults who have access to care but don't get treated, and fifth in those who experience 14 or more mentally unhealthy days but can't get help due to cost. On the positive side, Kentucky is ranked number one in a low prevalence of mental illness with higher access to care.
"While it is concerning that people maybe aren't seeking out the help they need," said counselor Julie Gosky, "It is really nice to know here in Kentucky, once they reach out, they can get the care that they need."
The mental health stigma of not getting help and doing it on your own still lingers, which may cause people to feel alone, which could lead to not finding the help they need. Experts say a way to get past the stigma is by talking about it.
"The more that we talk about this in the open, the more that it's not a secret that we are afraid to talk about, the more people will seek the help they need," said Gosky.
With all the help, one of those treatments is going to a peer specialist like Taylor Ledford did six years ago when her future was uncertain.
"It started with not wanting to go to work, not wanting to fulfill my responsibilities, said Taylor. "Towards the end, I was at the point of giving up. Depression was taking a hold, substance use."
It reached the point where her friends were concerned and reached out to see how she felt. This shocked her because she thought she was hiding her true feelings well. When someone did bring up her mental health, Ledford acted as if she didn't know what they were talking about.
Eventually, that led to her receiving the care she needed to get through the dark times in her life, she is now a peer specialist herself, and she can tell her stories to others to help them.
"I help others like, 'Hey, I've been through something similar, and this is how I got through it,'" said Ledford. "More importantly, that connection of me, too. I've been there; I know it's hard, but we can get through this."
With resources like New Vista, www.mhconnect.org, and the 988 hotline number, it all starts with taking that first big step.
"If you're miserable or struggling right now, I promise you, if you make that call and reach out, you'll be a thousand times better on the other side," said Ledford.
988 is more than just a suicide hotline; it can help answer questions and direct you to any help you may need to help improve your mental health.
