Times definitely are changing. What used to be handled with a gruff “Just get over it!” has been replaced with a kinder, gentler, “How are you really doing?”

Some say that our society has become softer, and in some ways that may be true. But when it comes to dealing with mental health issues of ourselves and those around us, a gentle hand is what is needed.

Every family is impacted by mental health in some form or another, and of varying levels of severity.

Some may dispute that last statement that every family has been impacted. If you disagree with that statement, you are either blind or deaf.

Ignorance isn't bliss

Ignoring mental health issues does not make the problem go away. Ignoring that a problem exists doesn’t necessarily make it worse either, but it definitely doesn’t help the situation.

Gone are the days of brushing mental health issues under the rug. Those issues have come to the headlines and the forefront. May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month, but an issue of such importance needs more than one month of concern each year.

Mindy Ward from Missouri Ruralist and I recently tag-teamed on a package of articles that shone a light on mental health during May.

If you didn’t check these out when they first appeared, I encourage you to take a look. If you did read them, I would advise revisiting them.

The three-part series kicked off sharing Bob Worth’s and Elizabeth Golombiecki’s stories of dealing with their mental health struggles.

We appreciate that these two were willing to bare their souls to put names and faces to real-life struggles.

You may know Bob and Elizabeth, or you may not, but I can bet that you know someone with similar tales.

There is hope

Part 2 of the series focuses on the work that Shannah Mulvihill and Monica McConkey do in the area of counseling and providing help to those with mental health issues. Mulvihill is the executive director and CEO of Mental Health Minnesota, and McConkey is a rural mental health specialist with Eyes on the Horizon Consulting in Minnesota.

In addition to throwing out sobering statistics of the prevalence of mental issues, they both also offer tips on how to best confront those dealing with mental health and to recognize what stressors are the root cause.

Stress comes in many forms, as varied as the ways each individual responds. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to help yourself or to help someone else.

The struggles this spring presents could provide plenty of stressors to lead people to reach out for help.

That leads us to Part 3 of the series, in which Mindy and I assembled a number of resources to turn to get the help when needed. There are probably many more resources that people can use to work through mental health issues, regardless if you’re reaching out for yourself or a family member.

Just remember, you are not the only one facing such battles, and there are places to turn.

How are you really doing? There is hope.

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