Baptist Health Richmond supports Mental Health Awareness Month

May 20, 2021

The Behavioral Health team provides a 24/7 helpline at 1.800.395.4435.

RICHMOND, KY (May 20, 2021) – Baptist Health Richmond believes mental health is equally as important as physical health. Our Behavioral Health team is committed to delivering compassionate, personalized care to support patients to thrive, not just survive. In recognition of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite you to join us to increase the awareness of mental health in our community and commit to supporting those in need seek help. 

Mental health can have an effect on a person’s physical and emotional health. It is very important to be aware of these conditions and know of ways to treat them.

Some common mental illnesses are:

  • Anxiety disorders: Persistent or frequent feelings of anxiety that interferes with one’s normal life.
  • Depression: Negative feelings that continue for more than two weeks, also interfering with one’s home, work, or social life.
  • Eating disorders: Common disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa which involve altered thoughts about one’s appearance and weight.
  • Borderline Personality disorder: This causes one to have dramatized mood swings, impulsive behavior, and a harder time maintaining social and romantic relationships.
  • PTSD: Posttraumatic stress disorder can be caused by a variety of traumatic events in one’s life and symptoms can include flashbacks, nightmares, depression and anxiety.
  • Schizophrenia: This can cause confused thoughts, hallucination, odd behavior, and one being out of touch with reality.
  • Bipolar disorder: Those who experience bipolar disorders have periods of highs and lows as well different energy levels and a hard time thinking clearly.
  • ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is when one has troubles paying attention and acting impulsively. It is common more in younger children and teenagers.

“The CDC recognizes that more than 50% of adults in America will be diagnosed with a mental disorder or illness at some point in their lifetime,” said Lora M. King, MSA, BSN, RN, SANE, Director of Emergency, Cardiovascular & Behavioral Health Services at Baptist Health Richmond. “There is a range of actions that can be taken to help prevent mental illness and promote mental health.”

The Behavioral Health team provides many services that can help manage your mental health including individual and group therapy, psychiatric medication management, substance abuse in the form of an Intensive Outpatient Program and on site clinical assessments.

For more information about the services available at Baptist Health Richmond, call 859.544.8171 or visit BaptistHealth.com/Richmond. The Behavioral Health team also provides a 24 hour/7 days a week helpline to assist in providing support. To contact the helpline, call 1.800.395.4435.