May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. We encourage you to check in with yourself, your loved ones, and even strangers. Whether you are a customer receiving our products, a family member, a caregiver, a healthcare professional, or someone who is simply browsing our website, we all need to show each other that we care and let everyone know that "You Are Not Alone".

If you or someone you know needs helps now, you should immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or call 911.

Why Is Mental Health Important?

Whether you or someone you know has experienced a mental illness, we all know how important it is to take mental health seriously. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience mental illness. While mental health is often stigmatized or even considered taboo in some cultures, we at San Pablo Commercial want to raise awareness, offer important resources, and help break the stigma. We believe that everyone should be able to receive help for mental health, actively listen and care about others, share their personal stories, and live a happy life.

What Is Mental Health?

Having a mental health disorder can affect someone’s behavior, way of thinking, mood, and overall well-being. There are a variety of factors that can result in mental health issues, such as pain from physical illnesses, grief, trauma, abuse, financial stress, family and/or marital issues, personal hardships, isolation, etc. Mental illness can take forms in a variety of ways - anxiety, depression, dementia, addiction, substance abuse, self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bi-polar disorder, borderline personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), schizophrenia, suicide, among others. 

Symptoms and Warning Signs of Mental Illness

Noticing symptoms and warning signs of mental illness can help save a life. While telling the difference between someone’s normal behavior and signs of distress is not an easy task, becoming familiar with common signs will allow you to become more aware if you or someone you know is experiencing mental health issues. The most common signs include:

• Feeling sad or depressed 
• Avoiding social interaction with family and friends 
• Feeling tired and having a lack of energy
• Excessive headaches, stomachaches, or physical feelings of pain from stress
• Changes in appetite and/or eating habits
• Feeling extremely worried or fearful
• Problems concentrating and difficulty thinking
• Extreme mood swings or changes in behavior (i.e. anger, sadness, irritability, frustration, elevated feelings of happiness)
• Changes in sleeping habits or difficulty sleeping
• Avoiding responsibilities and tasks (i.e. personal hygiene, chores, deadlines)
• Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
• Addiction and/ or substance abuse

How to Reach Out and Get Mental Health Help

Never be afraid to ask for help. Doing so can save you or someone else’s life, seriously. We know this from our own experience. Losing you or a loved to suicide is not the answer. Remember, help does not look the same for everyone. Always be patient and have hope. 

• Talk and connect with family and/or friends. Speak to someone you can trust.
• Join a support group or local community (i.e. church, community service, social groups)
• Schedule an Appointment with a Mental Health Professional, Therapist, Psychiatrist, and/or Natural Healer 
• Find treatment centers, confidentially and anonymously via the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Behavioral Treatment Services Locator
• Call mental health hotlines for available resources
• 1-800-662-HELP (4357) - Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (Confidential, free, available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year)
• 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) - National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine (Monday through Friday, 10 AM to 8 PM Eastern Standard Time)
• 1-800-273-8255 - National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Confidential, free, available 24 hours a day, 265 days of the year)
• Text mental health hotlines
• Text ‘HOME’ to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor - Crisis Text Line (Free 24/7 support)

How to Help Someone Dealing with Mental Illness

• Actively listen to them and remind them that their feelings are valid. Do not judge them.
• Ask what would help them and what their needs are in the moment.
• If they do not want to talk or share their feelings, that is also okay. Let the person cry or sit in silence, just be there for them.
• Participate in an activity that can help distract them from their feelings (i.e. taking a walk, breathing exercises, watching a funny movie, riding a bike, going on a scenic drive, etc.)
• Check-in but do not overwhelm them. Respect their boundaries if they have expressed them to you.
• Reassure them that you care and want to help them get through this hard time.

San Pablo Commercial is a family-owned, small business with a mission to deliver affordable medical supplies to their customers and caregivers. We offer a variety of incontinence products, ranging from SPC underpads, adult diaper briefs, reusable protective underwear, sanitary pads, absorbent liners, and disposable bed pads with adhesive. We ship directly to residential homes, home health care facilities, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and senior living communities within 2 to 3 business days. We care deeply about our customers and want to make ordering incontinence supplies easier so that they can spend more time doing the things they love.