Today we remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11, 2001.
In honor of those lives, we are highlighting the current state of emotional and mental health support in the United States.
The total of those killed by the attacks on 9/11/01 comes in at 2,996.
If all of those people only had 10 loved ones and friends, that leaves almost 30,000 people grieving a tragic loss.
More realistically, if each those people had 30 loved ones and friends, that leaves just under 90,000 people grieving the loss of someone.
That's a lot of people carrying a really heavy tragedy.
The truth is, we have no idea how many people were not only affected by the physical aftermath of the twin towers collapse and the pentagon explosion or how many people are living, untreated, with the mental and emotional toll of that day.
In 2014, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act established that mental health services cannot be limited by dollar amount more than any medical or surgical service.
That's a fancy way of saying that starting in 2014, mental health and addiction services became more affordable and more available to anyone with any major (and most small/private) insurance provider(s).
It's estimated that about 35-50% of the United States population now seeks professional help for mental health services, which is a HUGE improvement compared to years prior. Here's why:
In recent years, many popular TV shows and celebrities have normalized seeking mental health help. While it seems cliché, this has actually taken a lot of stigma out of getting help.
When you relate to someone, your brain makes a connection with that person and assigns a thought or feeling to that person/thing/connection.
So when you see celebrities you look up to going to counseling to save their marriage or going to rehab so that they can live a better life, you are more likely to have a more positive outlook associated with the act of going to counseling or to rehab simply because you respect and admire the person who did it before you.
Monkey see, monkey do actually has a pretty solid scientific standing.
While this is very good news, there are still many people who need that level of help who have not yet built that neural connection with someone, so the stigma remains for them and they continue on not believing the deserve or need help.
Maybe you think that you should be over it since it happened so long ago.
Maybe you think you don't have the right to be upset over it because you didn't know anyone involved.
Maybe you think it means that something is wrong with you if you go see someone.
Maybe you're afraid of the change you'll have to make to move forward.
Whatever the case may be for you, I want you to know today that almost half of the United States is engaged in some type of counseling. That means if you only see two people today on the street, one of them is probably in therapy- and that doesn't make them any less than.
Therapy isn't a dirty word. You deserve to talk through your emotions with a specialist, no matter what those feelings are.
September 11 is a day that elicits a whole host of emotions for a lot of people, as it should.
Today, we hope to encourage you to do two things today:
Do something kind. This day can easily become divisive and filled with hate. Today is tragic. But today can be used for honor and creating a better world. Let us not forget that united we stand. You never know who is facing a hard day for any number of reasons- be the reason they smile.
Reach out and get help. You are worthy of being heard and being helped through whatever you are going through. If you're looking for some in-depth mindset and positive habit training, check out Growth Mindset Masterclass. If you're looking for professional mental health help, call your insurance provider and ask for a list of mental health services that you have access to. Do some research and find a provider that feels right for your needs.
Always remember that total body wellness starts at the top and works its way down- true results come from seeing, believing, then doing.
For more questions on mental health and how we can help you achieve your best self, please visit www.bewellphc.com/contact
For 10 facts on physical affects of grief + coping strategies for reducing grief related stress, see our latest instagram post at www.instagram.com/bewellhwc/
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