Click on any title or picture to read a specific story. Campaign Kick-off Big Brothers Big Sisters Union County Cancer Society Special Needs Council Turning Point Personal Needs Pantry Child Care Network Mental Health Association American Red Cross Salvation Army Loving Care Hospice Mental Health Association of Union County Note: This is the 10th in a weekly series of articles submitted by the United Way of Union County that will run during the course of its annual campaign. Each week will feature a different United Way program. This week’s article features the Mental Health Association of Union County. The sunny dispositions of Carolyn Ohler (left) and Deloris Bills of the Mental Health Association help them to connect people who have mental illnesses to the right places for help. The pair, shown at the Union County Employees Health Fair last week, credits their strong ties with family and friends, creative outlets of music and journaling, and strong religious foundations for their ability to maintain their own mental health. Being in the right place at the right time is commonplace for Deloris Bills and Carolyn Ohler. Every time the duo sets up the display for the Mental Health Association of Union County at a health fair or local shopping center, a person will usually stop by to pick up some valuable information that might turn their life around. "Last year when we had the display set up at an area workplace, we had one of the employees come up after work," Bills said. "He’d come up and done our screening test for depression and then asked if he could meet us at our office. He came up and it turned out that he was very suicidal. I immediately called up and got Consolidated Care on the phone to help him." "After I took this display to the library and set it up, I went to look at some books," Ohler said. "Then I came back and there was a teenager looking at the bipolar materials. Whether it was for him or someone else, I don’t know. But a lot of times, people take stuff for themselves." Perhaps it’s because most people can relate to the personal issues the Mental Health Association addresses. Statistics show that one in five people have depression. A growing number of the population will experience Seasonal Affective Disorder during the upcoming winter months. Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, self-mutilation, and suicide are more serious mental health illnesses. Whatever a person’s problem, the Mental Health Association acts as a catalyst and a first-step to get people connected with the professional resources they need. A free phone call to the office or hotline will result in an assessment of a person’s immediate needs, symptoms, and potential solutions. It often isn’t one thing that leads to the root of the stress. "We’ll talk about your situation," Ohler said. "How is your day going? Who have you been with? What’s happened to you? Are you eating? Are you sleeping? How’s your job going? How are your kids? We want to give you the time to sort things out. Maybe your car broke down. Maybe your job isn’t going well. Maybe they want you to move. Is your lease up? Did you go to the casino two weeks ago and lose more money than you thought you would? Has your relationship gone bad?" "It’s taken a lot for someone to pick up the phone to call us," Bills said. "Or someone else is making them do it. For them to call us, they don’t have to have insurance. We’ll try to help them find help." Since 80% of those who seek treatment for mental illnesses can be cured, it’s important to make sure that people are aware that resources are available. In addition to raising awareness in public settings, Bills, who is speaking next year at an international conference on mental illness in Indianapolis, makes nearly a hundred presentations a year at area workplaces and clubs. The Mental Health Association also sponsors a weekly Depression Support Group that meets each Tuesday at Consolidated Care at 6:00 p.m. for those suffering from depression or those who have loved ones dealing with the illness. Here, the group setting creates a sense of community among those who might try alternative methods to overcome their feelings of hopelessness. "Some try to self-medicate and when you do that it can be very dangerous to your health, to your families, and to other people," Ohler said. "They do it by mixing alcohol and over-the-counter medicine. They get behind wheels of cars that can go very fast. And that only compounds the problem." "It also leads a lot of times to suicide," Bills said. "And unfortunately a temporary solution becomes permanent. The only thing they can think of is to kill themselves. Hopefully they will have a friend who will recognize the symptoms and will seek some help." FAST FACTS ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION: 2005 United Way allocation was $10,000 or 23% of its budget. Is one of the original Member Agencies of the United Way of Union County, dating back to 1958. The agency served approximately 1,700 Union County residents last year. The agency presented to 78 different community groups last year to educate and increase awareness. October is National Depression Awareness Month. Symptoms of clinical depression can include a persistent sad or empty mood, sleeping too much or too little, reduced or increased appetite and significant weight gain or loss, loss of pleasure in activities once enjoyed, restlessness and irritability, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling guilty or worthless, thoughts of suicide or death. If you or someone you know has five or more of these symptoms for two weeks or more, it may be a case of clinical depression and a doctor of qualified mental health professional should be consulted. You can contact the Mental Health Association of Union County at (937) 642-0935. A 24-hour crisis hotline is also available at 1 (800) 731-5577.