Bonnie Hovel, of the Village of Collier, believes Florida is in a mental health crisis and the data backs her up.
In Florida there are 1 in 5 adults who experience mental illness from depression and anxiety to ADHD and PTSD every year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
With more than 7.8 million adults in the state living in an area without enough mental health professionals, Florida ranks 43 out of 51 in states with access to care, according to the Florida Hospital Association.
Hovel has spent her life helping provide relief to others experiencing crisis as a retired license clinical social worker and still provides assistance today as the president of Transition Life Consultants (TLC), a free clinical service for seniors sponsored by United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties.
“We have some of the lowest access to for healthcare and mental healthcare of all the country,” Hovel said. “As a social worker I’m concerned about that and as someone who helps people with their mental health it’s troubling.”
Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been held in May to help combat stigma against mental illness, increase support for mental wellness, and boost access to mental healthcare.
TLC works to promote mental wellness to seniors residing in the Tri-county area by providing therapeutic support groups, educational presentations, training and counseling.
Residents themselves can initiate self-wellness routines into their daily lives.
Running therapy
The correlation between mental health and exercise is strong. For years, research has proven how physical exercise improves your mood through the release of endorphins.
According to Mayo Clinic, not only does walking and running help lower your blood pressure and decrease diabetes symptoms, those exercises help with reducing depression and anxiety.
“You definitely focus on the task at hand when you’re running,” said George Whiting, president of The Villages Running Club. “During the run, it’s a way to clear my head of everything; stress, bad thoughts. I feel very relaxed.”
Whiting started running nine years ago. He thinks it is the best sport for both physical and mental health.
For older adults, he also said it is one of the best exercises to maintain good cardio health.
Whiting, of the Village of Hacienda, runs five times a week with The Villages Running Club. He said it is open to all residents including those who are beginners.
“We have runners of all levels, so you don’t have to be the fastest,” he said. “If someone wants to run to improve their physical and mental health, I think the best motivation is to run with someone. It is much easier to find a buddy or group than to try and get yourself to go alone in the beginning.”
Lifeskills therapy
Achieving good mental health does not always have to come directly. While therapy is a keystone in the mental health world, improving our lives as a whole can indirectly work at lifting our spirits.
“We have a schedule of ongoing classes that help with anxiety, depression, grief, and even anger management,” said Ruth White, the director of People Helpers Lay Counseling Center in Leesburg.
White said they also have classes like “Overcoming The Pain of Dysfunctional Family Patterns,” a 12-week class that helps people identify negative behaviors and relationship dynamics so people may then create newer, healthier habits and form healthy connections.
“There is a lot that goes into maintaining mental health, and sometimes not all of what impacts us is in our control,” she said. “The only thing we can control is ourselves, and what we can do about it.”
Every group counseling session is free and open to anyone interested and is not limited to local residents. White has volunteered at the center for more than 20 years and is proud of the amount of people she has helped.
For more information on classes or to register, contact peoplehelper@fbcleesburg.org.
Equine therapy
Sometimes, working things out with another person or through exercise is not enough to put us in a better mood. For Vicki D’Angelo, talking to horses helps her feel better.
D’Angelo runs Horses With a Mission, a nonprofit based in Groveland that offers therapeutic horse riding sessions.
“Horses and equine therapy help with our mental health because they listen to you and offer comfort and connection,” D’Angelo said. “You can tell a horse your problems and feel like they are actually listening.”
Yet, self-help techniques may not be enough to help someone achieve a better mental health balance, meaning professional help is needed, which is okay.
“TLC tries to fill in some of those gaps we have,” Hovel said. “At TLC we have support groups, one on one counseling, grief support, caregiving stress. If people find that they are feeling sad or anxious or hopeless or too stressed, it’s really important to ask for help. There are some services and various clinics in the community where they can get help if they don’t get help at TLC.”
Along with TLC, there are resources in the Tri-county area that provide free or low-cost therapy sessions including NAMI Marion County.
NAMI Marion County, an affiliate of the national organization, has worked to educate the public about mental illness and provide support for those living with mental illness and their families since 1988.
The local organization hosts free monthly support groups including the NAMI Family Support Group, a 60 to 90 minute program held on every first and third Tuesday of the month, and NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group, a 90 minute meeting held on every second and fourth Tuesday.
With a goal of raising $20,000 during the 1 mile walk, NAMI Marion County will host the second annual fundraising and awareness 5k walk, NAMI Walks at 10 a.m. May 23 at Baseline Trailhead Park, 4803 SE 58th Ave, Ocala. Registration for the event will open at 9 a.m. and the opening ceremony will start at 9:30 a.m. To register for the walk, which is required, visit namiwalks.org/marioncountyfl.
Isolation. Poor diet. Lack of sleep.
Hovel said it’s important everyone remembers that there are many habits that can contribute to a decline in mental health making people feel more anxious, depressed or stressed.
“Mental health is just important as physical health,” Hovel said. “I think that there are several ways we can prioritize our mental health best in three basic ways. One is protecting your emotional bandwidth, like paying attention to what drains you and what restores you. If you have constant stress or are constantly carrying around a lot of problems — whether it’s your problems or other people’s problems — then those things can add up. If you stop expecting your self to do everything then your mental health would probably improve.
“The second thing is staying connected with supportive people — friends, family or even a support group — because that’s one of the greatest protective factors for mental health,” she said. “Having a brief conversation with other people and making meaningful connections can really reduce the feeling of isolation. The third thing is just caring for your mind and body consistently with daily habits. Your mental health is so closely tied to your physical health that if you get good sleep, are eating good food, drinking water or spending time outdoors, it can have positive mental effects.”
There is a free national mental health support service that connects people with trained crisis counselors 24/7. To access the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, people can call 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
Senior reporter Maddie Cutler contributed to this story and can be reached at maddie.cutler@thevillagesmedia.com.
