Did you know that 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health issue at some point in their life? It’s way more common than you might think, and over the past year we’ve seen more and more conversation around mental health arise. However, not everyone is able or comfortable taking part in these conversations. Maybe you or someone you know feels too isolated or too scared to open up. Maybe you or someone you know doesn’t know where to start.
Even if you feel isolated…statistically you are not alone!
At Mission, we understand how common mental health issues are and want to take this opportunity to talk about the importance of offering resources to employees that can improve their wellness. It’s human nature to experience stress from daily occurrences which could physically, socially, or financially make an impact on your emotional well-being. It could also seem hard to open up and talk about these problems to those around you because of fear or rejection. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Across the country we have made great strides in starting to break the stigma around mental illness, but there’s still a long way to go.
Companies, like Mission Health, can help advance the cause of fostering better mental health by ensuring that there are accessible tools offered to employees, and that employees know how to access those resources. Talking about it just might save your life or the life of someone you love.
That’s where teledoc comes in.
For Mission, that means utilizing HealthiestYou, which includes an online therapy program where a certified licensed therapist or counselor provides their patients with optimal psychological counseling through the convenience of your phone! It’s easy to forget to make time for your mental health when you’re dealing with the stress and bustle of everyday life. Add in symptoms of anxiety or depression and it can feel impossible to find a therapist near you, call the office, make an appointment, write it in your calendar, remember to go in two month’s time when you’re actually able to get an appointment, take time off from work or find a sitter for the kids, navigate traffic as you drive to the office…you see where this is heading? There is no shame in struggling to find time for your own mental wellness.
Which is why at Mission Health, we offer teledoc as part of our health insurance plan, to provide enrolled employees with access to mental health counseling they can schedule with a few clicks of a button and take part in from the comfort of their own home. HealthiestYou’s mental health option is an effective tool to utilize because you can use it on the go, at your convenience. Through video calls, online chat, or a phone call, HealthiestYou is a good solution for those who need to talk through problems and find on-the-go solutions that really work. It’s also a great place to start if you’re brand new to therapy and want a low pressure session to get you through a difficult spot.
One really great advantage of using HealthiestYou is that talking about problems to a licensed professional can feel much easier and safer than to spilling every worry and stressor to friends and family. One Mission Health employee says, “I feel that I can be more of myself because I am given a non-biased opinion from someone who is viewing my situations from an outside perspective.”
There is always a solution, and you are never alone. If you or a loved one are having symptoms of a mental health issue (such as intrusive thoughts, difficulty sleeping, unexplained weight gain/loss, difficulty concentrating, feeling tired all the time, etc) and think you might benefit from professional support or you’re just not feeling right and you think you might need help getting to a better place, reach out. Reach out to anyone you feel safe and comfortable doing so. And if you’re a Mission employee, please talk to your administrator or check out the Yapp app to see if HealthiestYou is right for you. Even if you are not enrolled in our health insurance plan, our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) may still have resources that can help you through a difficult time (including but not limited to up to three free counseling sessions, emergency rides, and financial planning).
We want to provide our staff with the best options possible, because if you aren’t at your best, then how can you perform at your best?! You are loved and valued and our mission is to overcome our struggles together so we can provide the best Mission Experience possible!
“The advice I’d give to somebody that’s silently struggling is, you don’t have to live that way. You don’t have to struggle in silence. You can be un-silent. You can live well with a mental health condition, as long as you open up to somebody about it, because it’s really important you share your experience with people so that you can get the help that you need.” — Demi Lovato
