This Mental Health Awareness Month, Rise Above Violence would like to remind our community that sexual assault and domestic violence can take a significant toll on a survivor’s mental health and well-being.
We encourage survivors to seek mental health care and support, and we also encourage family, friends and others who are close to survivors to be supportive of the survivor’s healing journey.
It can be challenging for survivors to seek mental health care. In addition to revisiting painful moments, there are a lot of logistics that go into adding mental health care to their schedule. Perhaps you could offer to babysit once a week so the survivor in your life is able to step away for appointments? Perhaps you could offer to drop off a meal on therapy day so the survivor has one less thing to do when they are revisiting difficult moments? Even letting a survivor know you’re proud of them for seeking support goes a long way.
If you are a survivor and you are facing mental health challenges, please know you are normal, you are not alone, and that healing and thriving post-trauma is possible. There are many agencies and individuals here in Archuleta County that care and are standing ready to offer you support as you work through the mental health implications of trauma.
If you are in crisis, please call 911. You can also call 988 for the 24/7 free, confidential Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you would like to be connected to local mental health resources, such as options for therapy, or if you need help navigating a domestic violence or sexual assault crisis that is harming your mental health, you can call the Rise Hotline 24/7 at (970) 264-9075 for free and confidential help.
Mental Health Awareness Walk Saturday
Rise Above Violence is hosting its annual Mental Health Awareness Walk, led by Youth Rise, this Saturday, May 18, at Town Park. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m., and the walk begins at 1 p.m.
All members of the community are invited to participate, and there will be door prizes, booths and a guest speaker, Sarah Martin, after the walk portion of the event concludes.
The first 70 individuals to register will receive a free T-shirt. Please visit riseaboveviolence.org to preregister.
