By Bill Myers

Mental health is essential to overall health and well-being, and mental illnesses are common and treatable. So much of what we do physically impacts us mentally – it’s important to pay attention to both your physical health and your mental health, which can help you achieve overall wellness and set you on a path to recovery.

May is Mental Health Month. Founded in 1949 by Mental Health America, the initiative raises awareness of the connection between physical health and mental health. The theme this year is #4Mind4Body.

Montgomery County Emergency Service (MCES) has been helping those in need in Southeastern Pennsylvania for more than 40 years. MCES provides round-the-clock intensive and comprehensive emergency behavioral health services while maintaining and respecting the rights and dignity of those served. Our goal is to “Build Better Tomorrows.”

We have learned that a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the onset or worsening of mental health conditions, as well as chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. It can also help people recover from these conditions. For those dealing with a chronic health condition and the people who care for them, it can be especially important to focus on mental health.

When dealing with dueling diagnoses, focusing on both physical and mental health concerns can be daunting – but critically important in achieving overall wellness. There are things you can do that may help. Finding a reason to laugh, going for a walk with a friend, meditating, playing with a pet, or working from home once a week can go a long way in making you both physically and mentally healthy.

The company of animals – whether as pets or service animals— can have a profound impact on a person’s quality of life and ability to recover from illnesses. A pet can be a source of comfort and can help us to live mentally healthier lives. And whether you go to church, meditate daily, or simply find time to enjoy that cup of tea each morning while checking in with yourself – it can be important to connect with your spiritual side in order to find that mind-body connection. Carol’s Place, our residential program, provides short-term, consumer-centered treatment in a supportive, home-like environment to adults experiencing an acute psychiatric crisis. Carol’s Place, located in Norristown, provides support that recognizes that recovery is based on a sense of hope, is achievable and is an individualized, ongoing process.

We want everyone to know that mental illnesses are real, and recovery is always the goal. Living a healthy lifestyle may not be easy but can be achieved by gradually making small changes and

building on those successes. Finding the balance between work and play, the ups and downs of life, physical health and mental health, can help you on the path towards focusing both #4Mind4Body

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