BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–May 1st kicks officially kicks off Mental Health Awareness Month across the country.
Here in Berkeley County, one local woman is doing her part to remind people that mental illness is a problem millions of people struggle with daily.
“If left untreated, mental illness can be pervasive in someone’s life. A lot of the times even with treatment mental illness is a lifelong illness that has to be managed instead.”said Holly Bender, a peer support specialist at the Berkeley Community Mental Health Center in Moncks Corner.
Statistically, Bender says anxiety disorders and depression tend to be the most prevalent type of mental illnesses nationwide.
“Mental illness affects you psychologically, emotionally and physically—it makes it difficult to function in your everyday life if you don’t treat the root cause of the illness,” said Bender.
For Bender, she continues to heal from her own personal demons from the past, while relating to people with similar struggles and challenges.
“I was a client here for about two years. My job is to help other people in their own recovery,” said Bender. “I don’t have the training that counselors and therapists do, but they say a peer support’s expertise is in the recovery process.”
According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), over 61 million adults suffer from some type of mental illness each year: that’s nearly 25% of the American population. Mental illness, which includes post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder, can cause lost work time, physical illness, and suicidal thoughts.
Since 1992, the center has provided counseling, treatment, and wellness programs for anyone who needs help. In addition to on-campus access to psychologists and mental health information, the center also offers programs such as care coordination, which provides housing and clothing to those in treatment; a home share program, where those with mental illness go to live in stable, supportive homes in the community; and the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program, which helps patients in recovery to find work.
“The people in that department network throughout the communitywith different employers and find employers that are sensitive to the needs of people with mental illness while still having the expectations of advancing clients’ professional careers,” said Bender.
Berkeley Community Health Center is one of 17 mental health centers in the state of South Carolina.
“The brain is an organ just like your heart, your ankle, and every part of your body is subject to injury or disease,” said Bender.
Bender acknowledges that discussion of mental illness is often taboo “because people don’t realize that mental illness is a psychological and emotional disease [but] it’s also a physical disease. So, since people don’t make that physical connection, they believe you can reason your way into overcoming it, or you can make yourself strong enough to persevere…and [that’s] simply not that case.”
The center sees over 3,000 people each year, and serves all of Berkeley County. About 1,500 come in for regular treatment. “Mental illness shows no bias,” Bender stated. “But it is a problem that low income persons lack
access to care [because] health care is expensive. Here at the Center, we’re one of the only places that offer services on a sliding fee scale.”
Since May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, Bender urges members of the community to talk about issues that they–or loved ones–might be having. Talking with a counselor at the center is the first step on the road to recovery for many sufferers of mental illness.
As a former patient of the center, Bender knows that recovery only comes with hard work and determination.
“Mental illness can be very impairing for people and can prevent them from living normal, healthy, fulfilling lives,” she explained. “Recovery isn’t the absence of disease; it’s learning how to live a productive, meaningful, fulfilling life despite the effects that your mental illness has on you,”
The center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. To make an appointment, call 843-761-8282 or 1-888-202-1381.
For more information on the center, click here.
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