Need help? If you or someone needs support call: 1-844-493-TALK (8255) or text “TALK” to 38255 to connect with Colorado Crisis Services Hotline. OR Call/Text 988 to speak to a trained crisis worker at the National Suicide Hotline.
What is Behavioral and Mental Health?
Mental health and behavioral health are often used interchangeably, but they’re not quite the same. Behavioral health—a more expansive term than mental health—refers to how things like daily cognitive habits affect a person’s overall well-being, emotions, biology, and behaviors. Mental health—a term that falls under the general umbrella of behavioral health—pertains to a person’s psychological state of being.
Everyone, regardless of gender, age, race, income, or religion, faces challenges with their mood, emotions, and behavior from time to time. It is important to talk about our mental health with someone we trust and seek professional care when we need it, just as we would with a physical injury or ailment.
Some of us, through no fault of our own, face greater challenges than others. This discussion applies to everyone, no matter how temporary or serious the mental health needs are. They are so common that 1 in 5 people in the U.S. will experience a mental health issue this year, with symptoms ranging from mildly disruptive to severe depending on the condition. However, most mental health issues go untreated because people are still afraid to talk about them due to shame, misunderstanding, negative attitudes, and fear of discrimination.
Get Resources
It is important to talk about our mental health with someone we trust, and seek professional care when we need it, just as we would with a physical injury or ailment. To learn more about what mental health is, check out Let’s Talk Colorado or visit the state behavioral health page for more resources at https://bha.colorado.gov/. To help find a provider or get help with navigating resources, please contact our Care Coordination team at HEACares@elpasoco.com. Below are additional resources and information around behavioral health.
