Leah Ingram Eagle
Lemeshia Chambers
Lemeshia Chambers addresses the audience at the March 5 Shelby Chamber Connections Luncheon.
The March 5 Shelby Chamber Connections Luncheon featured a Health Services - Healthy Living Expo. The event was presented by the chamber’s health services work group and was focused on living a healthy lifestyle in today’s busy world.
Lemeshia Chambers, Market Director-Behavioral Health Service Line at Brookwood Baptist Health at Shelby Baptist Medical Center, was the featured speaker and spoke on the topic of mental health at Old Mill Square Grand Hall in Columbiana.
Chambers described mental health as our emotional, psychological and social well-being which affects how we think, feel and act.
“Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including biological factors such as genes or brain chemistry, life experiences such as trauma or or abuse and a family history of mental health problems,” Chambers said. “If there has been family history there will be a stronger likelihood that person will be affected as well.”
Mental illness affects how a person thinks, acts and feels, and Chambers said we have to be aware of how we’re feeling and not be afraid to express those feelings.
“No one can fix what they don’t understand,” she said.
Chambers added that stress in itself is not an illness, however there are connections between stress and mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, psychosis and PTSD, and each individual person knows what their limits are.
She posed the question, ‘How much is too much for you?’ and added that we should not be afraid to say when we have reached that limit.
“A lot of mental health conditions are correlated with stressful situations,” she said. “Stress is our body's normal physical response to events that are taking place.”
Stress isn’t always bad, she said. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. However, when you are constantly running in emergency mode, your body will pay the price.
Chambers said a person’s response to a certain situation is what matters most and listed several ways to do this:
- Know your limits
- How much stress is too much stress for you
- Find a way to best manage stressful situations
- Learn how to manage your time.
- Learn to be present in the moments we are given.
Addressing mental health In the workplace, Chambers said that according to the CDC, poor mental health and stress can negatively affect employee job performance and productivity, engagement with their work, communication with coworkers and physical capability and daily functioning
“Mental illnesses such as depression are associated with higher rates of disability and unemployment,” she said. “Only 57% of employees who report moderate depression and 40% of those who report severe depression receive treatment to control depression symptoms.”
Chambers asked, "Why is it in 2020 there is still a stigma about mental health?"
As for depression related gender differences, Chambers said in men, it manifests often as tiredness, irritability and anger and they do not recognize they are depressed and fail to seek help. Whereas women will reach out for assistance before men.
Depression left untreated can lead to suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Chambers said never be too proud to ask for help.
“Where mental illness is concerned, managing the diagnosed illness is key,” she said. “Management includes education, support, a structured lifestyle and in some cases medication.”
Chambers concluded with these three tips:
- Time Management is pertinent, both personally and professionally.
- Focus on the good things about yourself and in your life
- Learn to enjoy the little things that make you happy.
The next Chamber Connections Luncheon will be held April 2 at Old Mill Square Grand Hall in Columbiana beginning at 11 a.m.