Mental health illnesses and substance use disorders affect all communities nationwide, but with commitment and support, those with the disorders can achieve healthy lifestyles and lead rewarding lives in recovery.
By seeking help, they can embark on a new path toward improved health and well-being. September, National Recovery Month, focuses on celebrating their journey with the theme Join the Voices for Recovery: Invest in Health, Home, Purpose and Community.
The impact of mental health illness is apparent in the local community.
A 2015 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey data showed that 9.4 percent of Barry County adults reported poor mental health. Also concerning is that, according to the most recent (2017-2018) Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth data, 38.4 percent of 9th and 11th graders in Barry County had symptoms of depression where they felt so sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing some usual activities in the past year.
Recovery Month spreads the message that behavioral health is essential to one’s health and overall wellness, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people recover, become more aware and able to recognize signs of mental and substance use disorders that can lead to needed treatment.
Managing the effects of these conditions can help people achieve healthy lifestyles, both physically and emotionally, improve the lives of those affected by educating communities of available prevention, treatment, and recovery resources.
In Barry County, Barry County Community Mental Health Authority provides mental health and substance abuse services to Barry County residents. For more information, call (269)948-8041 or visit www.barrycountyrecovery.com. For those with insurance, contacting the insurance provider before the visit is advised. For more, visit www.recoverymonth.gov.
In Eaton County, Eaton Behavioral Health (EBH) provides outpatient care for substance use treatment and recovery at the BEDHD Charlotte office, serving both adolescent and adult clients. For information, call (517)543-2580. For a list of resources available to help on a recovery journey, visit https://www.barryeatonhealth.org/health-services/substance-use-treatment-and-recovery. For more on recovery, visit www.recoverymonth.gov.
