BILLINGS, Mt– Billings is ranked number one city for the high prevalence of depression across the U.S.as per a data published by CDC.
The mental health situation in Montana has been an issue for a long time.
A local restaurant bartender said that she faced numerous challenges before finally seeking mental health treatment after her childbirth.
“I just opened the phonebook and started to look for psychologists to help get on medication and I think after being told twenty-five times none of them had room to take any new Medicaid client.”
Matthew Leavenworth, a Mental Health Counselor in Billings, explains that the state has seen a disproportionate number of mental health cases for a long period of time.
“Montana has always ranked in the top five for the most suicides per capita in the nation,” added Leavenworth.
He also mentioned that the symptoms of depression, unlike other physical diseases, often start early on and go unnoticed by patients.
“The really important thing is that we just start talking about it right away with people who care about you. And then maybe, it won’t become a clinical disorder that requires a lot of reactive treatment,” said Leavenworth while emphasizing the importance of talking out feelings with others.
