Upcoming town hall to discuss mental health resources

MADISON HEIGHTS — Millions of people struggle with mental health difficulties, from burnout and decision fatigue to anger issues and depression. An upcoming forum aims to raise awareness, with experts sharing advice on coping mechanisms and helpful resources.

State Rep. Mike McFall, D-Hazel Park, representing House District 8, will host the event from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Hall, 555 Horace Brown Dr. in Madison Heights.

Called the “Mental Health Town Hall,” the event will feature guest speakers from organizations such as Common Ground and Henry Ford Health.

“COVID, I think, really exacerbated a mental health crisis that we were already having. I don’t know anyone’s family who hasn’t been touched by this in some way. And I think because of that, people are becoming a bit more open to talking about it,” McFall said. “I want this to be a town hall where people can ask, ‘Hey, I have this going on — who do I turn to, and where do I go?’ I want them to come with their questions in hand, no matter how basic, because that’s where many people are at — they don’t know where to turn, even if it’s something that’s been going on for awhile.”

Dr. Jennifer Peltzer-Jones, assistant medical director of emergency behavioral health services at Henry Ford Health, said the conversation around mental health is becoming more open.

“I think this is a good thing, because these struggles are not new, and we need to be willing to talk about them,” she said via email. “When people talk about ‘mental health’ issues, many have been automatically conditioned to think about significant dangerous mental health conditions, such as psychosis and suicidal thinking. While these are dangerous conditions on the most severe end of the mental health continuum, we somehow downplay the issues we are living with daily, which leads to us feeling not happy.”

She said that many people take their mental health for granted, and as a result, they don’t work on good mental health practices. Such practices include consistent sleep schedules and good dietary habits, limiting exposure to negative images and media, and engaging in mental exercises to keep the mind sharp, like reading books over blogs. Other good practices include taking time each day to engage in purposeful reflection, focusing on the positive things that have happened while recognizing that any negative thoughts are not necessarily reality.

“I think we also forget the basics to behavioral conditioning, which includes the idea that whatever we give attention to is reinforced. Thus, if we put all our attention on the most negative of the world around us, we reinforce the negative of our world, and will eventually only see the negative in our worlds,” Peltzer-Jones said.

She said mindfulness routines can build resilience now for any negative situations that may occur later, such as illnesses, financial setbacks, work difficulties or challenging relationships.

“Because we have not built our own coping systems in times when we are not in crises, we feel inadequate and unprepared to navigate the negative and become overwhelmed,” she said. “Building coping skills cannot start in the midst of a crisis. We need to cultivate the good skills and habits so that when faced with negative situations, we have a map already built to help us get back on track. These things can be much more simple than we realize, like calling a friend, going for walks, listening to a ‘happy’ playlist, engaging in a physical activity, cooking a good meal for ourselves, etc. These types of activities seem so trivial, but in reality, they truly should be our first line of defense when we feel bad.”

Dr. Doree Ann Espiritu, division head of outpatient psychiatry at Henry Ford Health, said there are many resources available for those in need, such as the American Psychiatric Foundation’s public awareness campaign at mentalhealthcareworks.org, as well as the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Administration’s national helpline at 1-800-662-4357 — a free service available at all hours in English and Spanish, for individuals facing mental health and/or substance use disorders. There is also the suicide and crisis lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visiting the chatroom at 988lifeline.org.

“While millions of people are struggling with their mental health, far too few are seeking treatment,” Espiritu said via email. “There are many efforts going on right now … that seek to de-stigmatize mental health and inspire more people to step forward and ask for help, by showing them that mental health care works.”

Roslyn Grafstein, the mayor of Madison Heights, said she welcomes the discussion to her city. She said that when she was growing up, her father struggled with mood swings and suicidal feelings that were ultimately managed, in part, with a proper diagnosis and medication.

“Town halls like this are important as lawmakers, mental health experts and advocates need to collaborate on ways to work together to reduce the stigmas associated with mental health,” the mayor said in an email. “They also need to listen to those caught in the broken system, and figure out how to build a comprehensive healthcare system that supports individuals and families who are affected by mental illness.”