Monthly Archives: September 2021

I have spent the last ten years of my life living with a mental illness, but my first experience with a mental health crisis comes to mind so clearly that I feel like it could have happened yesterday. .

I had just started my sophomore year in college, didn’t get into a class I wanted so badly, and I fell for it. I called my mom, but there wasn’t much she could do. Neither of us understood my reaction to a seemingly minor hiccup. Her intuition must have sharpened when she said, “Go to the health center and tell them you need to talk to a counselor. I’m not hanging up this phone until you’re with an advisor.

Looking back, this singular moment probably saved my life. And so began my navigation in the world of mental health.

There is still a lot of stigma around mental health around the world. At first, I was embarrassed to have seen a therapist. I didn’t want to be on medication for the rest of my life. I just wanted to be “normal” whatever it was.

It took me a few years and some wise advice from my sister before I stopped being ashamed and embraced the steps I needed to take to take care of myself. “If someone had heart disease and needed medicine they would take it every day, how is that different?” ”

I promised myself that I would never switch my health insurance to TRICARE. By the time I married my husband, an active-duty sailor, I finally had the perfect therapist and the right combination of drugs.

My depression and anxiety were manageable and I didn’t want to play with a good thing. After all, like many other new spouses, I had heard horror stories about how the military cared about behavioral health. I worried that I wouldn’t have access to a therapist of my choice or medications that I knew were already working for me, and that I would constantly hit the wall when I needed treatment.

Fast forwarding four years, and transferring my care to the military was one of the best decisions for my sanity.

Being a part of the military community has really done wonders for my sanity. The care I receive from my local military clinic is better than I expected. My primary care manager, therapist and psychiatrist all have access to my file with each other’s notes, which takes the stress out of care as I no longer have to constantly repeat my life story. at each visit. Honestly, I feel like I’m receiving care as a whole person, as opposed to doctors treating one problem at a time without looking at the big picture.

This year’s theme for Suicide Prevention Month, “Connect to Protect” resonates with me because it is the connections I have with the people around me that keep me through my most difficult days. . It took a while, but I’ve learned that it’s not only okay to reach out when my symptoms are increasing, it’s necessary to take care of myself. Being open and honest with myself and those around me about how I really feel makes difficult days a little more manageable.

While the traditional health care aspect of the military community continues to exceed expectations, it is the people I have met along the way who have helped me the most. Some of my best friends are military spouses. They don’t judge me when I need a little extra love or confidence when I’m going through a depressive episode. They watch me when my husband is deployed or goes for training. Most importantly, they understand the unique situations that come with being in a military family.

Really, the same can be said of the people I work with. I have been a civilian in the Army Department for a year now. I love my job, plain and simple, but it was the soldiers and civilians I work with who made juggling a full-time job, a prolonged separation from my husband and my mental health needs. manageable.

Some people will never understand what it is like to have such a disconnect between your logic and your emotions. But keeping those feelings close only makes it worse. It has been a long road, but I have learned that there is no shame in needing mental health care.

It’s no secret to those around me that I see a therapist on a regular basis. I proudly take my medication and share my experiences on it. I mean, can you really be someone’s best friend if you haven’t compared your notes on which anxiety medication is best for you?

It might seem like a talking point when the military says people are their number one priority, but it has been more than a checkbox in my life.

Learn about the people you care about. Don’t wait for someone to be in trouble. Let the people you love know that you care. Not everyone will ask for help when they need it, and not everyone may know they need help. And if you have a hard time with anything, no matter how trivial you think it is, don’t let fear of stigma keep you from accessing the resources you need.

Whether it’s your spouse, your best friend, your combat companion, or even your commander, the people around you care about you.

Almost 1 in 5 adults in the United States lives and suffers from a debilitating mental illness of one kind or another. And while we like to think that this disturbing condition only affects people in remote locations, the truth is, here in Idaho we are certainly not immune. In fact, our state consistently ranks at a desperately high level in terms of suicide rates, with some years reaching up to 50% above the national average.

Emotional wellness and psychological care are major health concerns in Madison County and surrounding areas. Our large student population, which is a boon to the community in terms of economic and cultural impact, also translates into a significant and continuing need for behavioral health support systems. A recent community needs assessment survey concluded that mental health care was the most critical issue for the region, an issue that current resources, while excellent, have not been able to address. adequately.

Indeed, the emergency department at Madison Memorial Hospital receives more than 400 mental health-related visits each year, many from people struggling with suicidal ideation. Of these, more than 150 end up being transported to behavioral health inpatient service centers located in places like Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Boise and even as far as Salt Lake City.

The emergency department is equipped with telepsychic assessment services through HCA Healthcare, and our excellent social services team coordinates patient care with the amazing counselors and therapists who already live in the community. Despite these things, the county and surrounding communities continue to have limited access to licensed psychiatric professionals. It’s about to change.

The beginnings of an idea

Several years ago, the Madison Memorial Hospital administrative team took the initiative, meeting on several occasions with the hospital’s board of directors, to outline the beginnings of a plan for a new behavioral health unit. (BHU), which is said to be locally based, operating in the main hospital building itself. Careful planning ensued, requiring a large amount of analysis, recruiting and architectural design.

The end result of this extensive preparatory work was the announcement of a new 12-bed behavioral health unit at Madison Memorial, which will be built both to meet the growing need for local psychiatric care, as well as to serve as a complement. to the exceptional health services already existing in the community.

Schafer Consulting, the Health-Neuropsychiatric Institute (UNI) at the University of Utah, JRW & Associates and a dedicated team from Madison Memorial worked together for over a year in the planning phase of the creation of the new unit, which is slated to open this fall.

The Madison Memorial BHU will be a 12-bed crisis stabilization facility for adults 18 years of age and older. The average patient stay is expected to be approximately 7 days, with the average patient age being approximately 26 years. The state-of-the-art facility will include a dining area, walled outdoor section, large reception desk, multiple staff desks and 12 licensed and certified patient beds. Construction is underway, with a grand opening slated for September or October.

Two new psychiatrists

Dr. Jim McCoy, MD, will be one of two full-time psychiatrists who will join the staff at Madison Memorial, lead the new BHU, and receive and treat patients. He received his medical degree from Texas A&M and completed his four-year residency in the University of Utah Health System. He will work closely with Dr. James Morris, MD, who received his medical degree and completed his subsequent residency at the University of Utah. Dr McCoy and Dr Morris will work together to establish a greater presence in Southeast Idaho for the training of future psychiatric professionals, in collaboration with the University of Utah and Idaho State University to set up a program to facilitate it.

Respond to a community need

The new BHU at Madison Memorial will be a major asset to the community, responding to a long-recognized need. Madison, a 69-bed full-service medical facility, the state’s only county-owned, non-critical access self-contained hospital. It is a leading regional health facility serving five counties in the region. It includes an exceptional administrative staff and healthcare professionals who are dedicated to providing quality care to every patient.

For more information

Madison Memorial Hospital

450 E Main St, Rexburg, ID • 208-359-6900

madisonmemorial.org

For more on the September issue, click here.