Our state has a behavioral health crisis and it won’t go away. It is estimated that over 53% of her Massachusetts residents experience behavioral health problems. This includes children, adolescents, adults, seniors and veterans. They represent all income and education levels, occupations and occupations.

No one is immune from this medical problem, which is often caused by trauma, chemical imbalances, genetics, or the everyday challenges we face. , rather than ridiculing, demeaning, or condemning their actions, they have genuine medical conditions that deserve our respect, understanding, and support.

I remember talking to a Marine veteran in his late twenties. He returned after his eight years in the Legion with many medals for heroism, including his Heart of Purple. He experienced bouts of anger and anger and continued to show it. He was a really nice guy and a brave warrior who cared about his surroundings. Sadly, his behavior bothered many of his friends, even though VA Medical System prescribed various medications to stop his attacks. Unfortunately, his friends did not truly understand or respect the medical problems he was experiencing and the fact that he often had trouble controlling his anger. . He has his problems under control now, but not before the damage is done to his personal and family relationships.

Mental health clinicians are currently overwhelmed with helping current patients. New patients seeking appointments must wait weeks, if not months, to receive assistance. Hospital emergency departments are seeing an alarming increase in people of all ages seeking urgent help. Children can be held in the ER for days waiting for a proper mental health bed. To address the seriousness of this health crisis, Tufts Medicine is planning to build his 144-bed behavioral hospital in Malden, and a growing number of police departments will be providing services to people in acute mental distress. We are providing additional training to police officers to deal with it. The clinician works with the police on the ground.

Behavioral health problems have been around for decades, but recently the pandemic has brought media attention to them, dramatically exacerbating emotional problems. Anger, depression, inappropriate behavior, and mood swings at store and hospital employees are all faced head-on.

Employers and managers are now bringing in trained professionals to address the behavioral issues of employees returning to an office environment after working too much remotely. Schools and colleges are preparing to support mental health support for students as a result of the emotional challenges associated with the pandemic.

People who suffer from behavioral medical problems face a difficult road to mental health. This is why it is important for each of us to better understand the behavioral health problems seen in others.

Billerica resident Rick Pozniak has spent 30 years in the field of health and risk communication and has taught at several universities in Massachusetts.