CARROLLTON — A Greene County group hopes to shed light on the darkness surrounding mental health issues.
The Greene County Mental Health Coalition, Greene and Scott Recovery Council, and Greene County Health Department will host an event to show the impact mental health issues have on communities and highlight the number of people affected.
Molly Peters, administrator of the Greene County Health Department, said mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, postpartum depression, various recovery challenges, and other mental health issues affect so many people. has an impact on
“We want a lot of people to participate. Make it an event where people feel comfortable talking about their experiences,” Peters said. “Seeing and hearing other people with similar experiences helps them understand that they are not alone.”
Luminaria lights up in Carrollton Square on Thursdays around 7:30 pm.
People can find it difficult to talk about their mental health, Peters says, fearing that their judgments and their feelings will be invalidated, especially those who have never gone through a similar struggle.
The issue is more talked about than ever, but the fears haven’t gone away, Peters said.
The incident doesn’t erase that fear, but hopefully shows how common mental health problems are, she said.
The goal, says Peters, is to show people they’re not alone and connect them to resources and support systems.
In addition to Luminaria’s lighting, Peters said there will be music by acoustic guitarist Spalding McIntosh.
“He said he would take inspiration from what we do and share his music and stories with the participants.
No program or resource is perfect, but Peters says that unless people work together to change things, they will.
“There’s an impact on people sharing their stories,” she said. “When everyone keeps things quiet, you are more likely to feel lonely. Solutions need to be considered.”
She said there are many resources for people with mental health issues, including mental health professionals and support groups.
“We need to connect people to identify solutions, connect them to needed but unnoticed resources, and do grassroots efforts to identify solutions,” said Peters. I’m here.
