Mental Health Resources: Why We Need Them
Mental illness is something that affects almost every person living on this planet, whether it’s direct or indirect. Because of this, knowing what mental health resources are available is incredibly important. That is why we created Mental Illness Awareness and Suicide Prevention (M.I.A.S.P.), dedicated to raising awareness and fighting the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide. In 2016, a student of the Manchester School District tragically took his life, with multiple others under the age of 18 in the following years doing the same. We created MIASP to raise awareness and raise money so that resources can be provided and funded for those in need.
National Resources
There are thousands of resources across the country available to people suffering from mental illness or simply in need to chat. If you or someone you know is in need of speaking to a professional, a community mental health center is often a great place to start. Typically, you can search for community mental health centers in your city by searching on any search engine. For New Hampshire, there are ten community mental health centers across the state. The locations of these centers can be found on the Mental Health Centers page of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. The services from the community mental health centers include 24 emergency services, individual and group therapy, psychiatric services, and many other services.
Another wonderful resource is NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI educates, advocates, listens, and leads through education programs, the toll-free NAMI Help-Line, public awareness activities, and advocation for public policy. NAMI offers a variety of services for people of all ages and variety, from teen/young adult and adult services, to LGBTQI services and diverse communities services, and many others.
These are only a few of the many resources that are available should you or someone you know need help. For emergencies, there is also a national suicide helpline, 1-800-273-8255, available to call 24 hours, 7 days a week. Remember, it is always okay to ask for help.