Are you OK? If the answer is no, here’s a list of mental health resources in the Sauk Valley and beyond

STERLING — How is your mental health?

It’s OK to talk about it and it’s OK to ask for help if you are struggling. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration would like everyone to know that it is “OK to not be OK.”

Almost everyone goes through times in their life when their mental health is affected. For some it’s a temporary situation and they bounce right back. Others may find it more difficult and may struggle with their mental health for as long as they live.

I think it’s encouraging that it is becoming more acceptable to acknowledge and talk about mental illness and to seek help if we need it.

According to SAMSHA, mental illnesses are disorders that affect a person’s thinking, mood, and/or behavior. Different mental illnesses have different symptoms but there are some early warning signs that might help you to know if you or someone you know is living with a mental health problem:

Eating or sleeping too much or too little.
Pulling away from people and usual activities.
Having low or no energy.
Feeling numb or like nothing matters.
Having unexplained aches and pains.
Feeling helpless or hopeless.
Smoking, drinking, or using drugs more than usual.
Feeling unusually confused, forgetful, on edge, angry, upset, worried, or scared.
Yelling or fighting with family and friends.
Experiencing severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships.
Having persistent thoughts and memories you can’t get out of your head.
Hearing voices or believing things that are not true.
Thinking of harming yourself or others.
Inability to perform daily tasks like taking care of your kids or getting to work or school.

We should all be aware that there is help available for mental health situations. In addition to calling 911 in a mental health crisis, here are some national and local resources.

National

Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
To learn how to get support for mental health, drug, and alcohol issues, visit FindSupport.gov.
To locate treatment facilities or providers, visit FindTreatment.gov or call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-HELP (4357).

Local

The National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) has a local chapter with offices at 3101 Freeport Road in Sterling. They can be reached at (815) 876-0442, or office@namisaukarea.org. Here are the ways to contact the national NAMI helplines:

Call NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET.
Text NAMI HelpLine: Text “HELPLINE” to 62640, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET.
Chat with NAMI HelpLine: NAMI.org/help, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ET.

Sherry DeWalt is the healthy lifestyles coordinator for the CGH Health Foundation in Sterling.