“I think it might be time for me to talk to someone about my depression, but I have no idea where to begin.”
Starting the journey to healing can feel overwhelming, and often, it is difficult to know how to begin. For many, the first step to accessing mental health care is saying out loud that you think you might benefit from some help. The organization To Write Love On Her Arms (twloha.com) had a marketing slogan a of couple years ago that validated that “It’s okay to ask for help.” That slogan was impactful because, as humans, we typically do not like having to ask for help. We pride ourselves on being independent and strong, and we hold this false idea that asking for help somehow makes us weak or less-than.
But in reality, asking for help is probably the most courageous and brave act a person can do. Asking for help means that the individual is saying that they are not doing well, and they know that it is possible to feel better. Asking for help means that the individual acknowledges that someone else has the ‘thing’ they need in order to feel well again (or maybe for the first time). Asking for help is trusting that someone else is going to share their experience and expertise just for the sake of helping another person find healing.
Asking for help is hard, but it is so worth the effort. If you or a loved one have been trying to find a way to ask for help, here are some suggestions to make the process a little bit easier.
- Schedule an appointment with your primary care doctor. Explain how you have been feeling and ask for a referral for mental health services.
- Use the following links to search for a therapist near you. Choose someone you think would be a good fit and reach out to them. Find a Therapist, Psychologist, Counselor – Psychology Today or Find A Therapist Nearby, Compassionate In-Person and Online Therapy – TherapyDen
- If you are local to the Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington, or Peoria areas, follow this link to reach out: Contact – Evergreen Coaching & Counseling (cuevergreen.com). We would love to help you get started on your healing journey!
- If you are fearful that you will harm yourself or someone else today, please call 911 or visit the closest emergency room.
Asking for help is hard. But, you matter and your mental health matters, and it really is okay to ask for help. That one courageous act could be just the thing you need.
Brittney Homann, MSW, MS Ed., LCSW, has over 15 years of experience working with children and their families in Central Illinois. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a BS in Special Education in 2004 and a MS in Education in 2013. Brittney completed the MSW program at UIUC in 2019, and she has extensive training and experience in treating childhood and family-based trauma, anxiety, depression, disruptive behaviors, and other mental health disorders. Brittney is LBGTQ+ affirming and welcomes children and adolescents with co-occurring Autistic or cognitive disorders, as well as parents/caregivers and young adults.
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