The holidays can be a season of joy, but they can also be stressful and difficult for people struggling with loneliness, sadness, depression, and mental illness. In Broward and Palm Beach counties, walk-in clinics, hotlines, and mobile units provide resources for anyone in need of emergency mental health assistance.
Memorial Healthcare's in Davie's Strip Shopping Center Levels Drop-in Center It opened in January and offers support groups, social activities, counseling and peer mentoring seven days a week. We are also open on Christmas and New Year holidays.
“We have a lot of things available here for people who are depressed or isolated and don't want to be at home alone,” said Maria Pilar Dominguez, manager of Rebels Drop-In Center. Told. “We also have peer-to-one support.”
Malcolm Butler knows his schizophrenia can easily be overwhelmed by the pressure of holiday cheer. So on a cool Tuesday afternoon, he painted a white cat on a window sill using small strokes on canvas.
Like Butler, people who come to Levels Drop-In Center from cities across Broward County with a variety of mental health issues attend support groups, participate in arts and crafts, and take yoga classes. You can attend or meet with a counselor.
There are men's support groups for people who are in a slump because they don't have custody of their children during the holidays or are going through deep grief. There are women's support groups for people who are feeling anxious or lonely.
More serious help for mental conditions
From the back door of the same building, Memorial Behavioral Health Center Outpatient Department Anyone over the age of 15 can enter and receive a mental health care assessment.
“Some people come in unexpectedly and need immediate treatment. We start by taking a history and then scheduling an appointment,” explains Claudia Vicencio, director of Memorial Outpatient Behavioral Health. “Once the evaluation is complete, we will begin service within five to seven days.”
The center is staffed by psychiatrists, mental health counselors, and primary care services. We also offer esketamine treatment and transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy for adults who are resistant to depression.
“Clinically, we are busier than usual because of the holiday season,” Vicencio said. “I see a lot of people coming in.”
But she added, “This is not for people who are in immediate danger.”
PM Pediatric Behavioral Health in Coral Springs serves children and youth up to age 26 and can see new patients with mental health concerns virtually within 72 hours, even during the holidays. Anyone can make a reservation online.
Holidays cause poor mental health
This time of year, mental health counselors prepare for short-term amplified depression, the so-called holiday blues. The bigger risk is that depression can lead to addiction.In addition National Alliance on Mental Illness We found that 64% of people living with a mental illness report that their symptoms worsen around holidays.
Feelings of loneliness can also worsen around holidays. Earlier this year, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory calling attention to the public health crises of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection. The report found that among adults, those who report feeling lonely have more than twice the risk of developing depression as those who report little or no loneliness.
“Family gatherings receive a lot of media attention at this time of year, which increases comparisons and, for some, feelings of isolation.” Julian Holt-Randstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Institute for Social Connections and Health at Brigham Young University.talk on the way SciLine WebinarShe noted that everyone, including young people, can be vulnerable.
“This isn't just limited to older people…it affects all of us,” she says.
Hotline provides immediate help
In South Florida, wait times for private therapists and psychiatrists can be weeks or even months. However, if you are feeling isolated or struggling with mental health concerns, call his 2-1-1 in Broward and Palm Beach Counties to connect with a responder who can direct you to services. can.
“Our lines are staffed 24 hours a day, so you know you are not alone,” said Francisco Isaza, Chief Operating Officer. 211 Broward. “Consumers call us who need support that same day. Sometimes they call us two or three times in the same day. They're feeling lonely or they're sad. The most important thing we can do is listen and provide emotional support.”
Isaza said responders may refer callers to treatment, support groups, telehealth services, mobile crisis units or walk-in centers, depending on the situation. “Sometimes just talking to someone who can de-escalate the situation can save the person. Emergency crisis services are never needed,” he said.
Anyone in crisis can get help
For those in South Florida who are experiencing a mental health crisis or struggling with suicidal thoughts, there are options.
They can walk to Henderson's centralized reception center in Lauderhill and receive help, said CEO Dr. Steven Ronnick. Henderson Behavioral Health, serving Broward and Palm Beach counties. Staff at the walk-in center, located at 4720 N. State Road 7, can connect walk-in patients with therapists, psychiatrists and other intervention services. Patients can also be checked in for up to 23 hours until their condition stabilizes.
“This is like emergency care for behavioral health,” Ronick said.
Henderson too mobile crisis unit We respond to residents wherever they are during an emotional or mental health crisis.
“The goal is to make sure the person is safe and resolve the crisis,” Ronik said. The crisis intervention team will perform an on-the-spot assessment and may admit the person, voluntarily or involuntarily, if necessary.
Ronick advises most people in need to start by calling 9-8-8, the new mental health and suicide prevention hotline, unless there is immediate danger. Your phone call will be answered by a local mental health professional who can discuss your concerns and send a mobile emergency unit to your home if you feel you need one.
“I want to stress to the public that they don't have to think about it,” Ronik said. “If they think they're in trouble, just dial his three-digit number. That will get the user started and the expert who answers will have access to whatever else they need.”
Of course, anyone in crisis can also go to a hospital emergency department. Not all hospitals have mental health professionals on staff. But some do, and others may transfer the patient to a hospital with staff.
Dr. Daniel BoberThe chief psychiatrist at Memorial Regional Hospital sees adults who arrive at the emergency room and pose a danger to themselves or others. We also have an adolescent psychiatrist on staff.
“For many people, the holidays bring back painful memories of addiction, loss, and trauma… They see empty seats at the table, promises left unfulfilled, or dreams unfulfilled,” he said. To tell. “They become intoxicated and may evoke suicidal thoughts.”
Bober estimates that about half of people who arrive at the emergency room in crisis are hospitalized, and half go home with a treatment plan in place. Patients admitted to the hospital can stay for up to 72 hours. After that, they must sign in as voluntary admission, he said.
“In many cases, just removing yourself from the situation itself can have some therapeutic effect,” Bober says. “They need a place to cool down. Medication or restraint may be necessary depending on the situation, but patients are often able to go home by the next morning.”
Bober said all hospitals' emergency departments must see patients in crisis, but if they don't have a specialist on staff, they will transfer the patient to a hospital that does have one.
“Western society tells us that these are good times,” he said. “If you're in a crisis and have to decide what to do, it's better to err on the side of caution and go to the ER.”
Sun Sentinel health reporter Cindy Goodman can be reached at [email protected].
