News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
When looking at mental well-being, many mental health professionals attempt to assess the whole person.
Anne Loubier is a Licensed Professional Counselor at Infinite Possibilities Counseling.
“The whole person means actually taking into account your emotional well being, your physical well-being, and your mental well-being,” Loubier said. “And working on all three of those principles as far as self-care whether that be you’re getting out walking, exercising, eating correctly as well as taking care of your mind and body.”
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, created to reduce stigmas surrounding mental illness and promote emotional well-being.
Loubier said research supports the notion that anxiety, depression, and other illnesses can present physical symptoms.
“And we find actually that a lot of [Private Care Physicians] will direct individuals to counseling due to the fact that their symptoms,” Loubier said. “Even though they manifest physically, are actually true anxiety or depression.”
Loubier said anxiety can cause pain in the shoulders and the lower back, and can even make individuals’ hearts race.
Loubier said she works with people dealing with depression, anxiety, and PTSD.
“We work on where they are at that point in time because we try not to push too hard because some clients are not ready for that,” Loubier said. “But with me, I try to assign little homework assignments at times. Whether that is just hygiene in general, you know, getting up, bathing daily, brushing your teeth.”
Loubier said counseling still has a strong negative stigma around it.
“And I know also, pride just in, ‘I can do this on my own.’ But sometimes we all just need a little bit more help,” Loubier said. “And maybe a little bit more support in our lives to get us kind of over that hump that is affecting us from taking better advantage of what is going on in our lives to make it the whole person again.”
Loubier said seeking a support system in times of need can greatly benefit individuals.
“I think the best thing people can do is talk about their mental health. They don’t necessarily have to do it on social media platforms, but even just to their friends and family,” Loubier said. “And if they did receive good counseling services so talking to support systems in their life, I think it’s important to get that out there.”
If you or someone you know may be dealing will a mental illness, you can contact a licensed professional. If you are thinking about suicide, contact the suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255.
