Viewers reach out to News 6 Mental Health Phonebank

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Phonebank received hundreds of callers during News 6′s mental health coverage

ORLANDO, Fla. – This week’s mental health coverage at News 6 couldn’t have come at a better time.

Throughout Friday, a Mental Health Phonebank hosted by News 6 and Mental Health Foundation of Central Florida — sponsored by the Camaraderie Foundation — lent a listening ear to the Central Florida community.

Mental health professionals and volunteers on the phonebank said that for some of the hundreds who called in, just being able to express their feelings turned their day around for the better.

Cassie Bressler was one volunteer on the phonebank. She said that people called with a variety of needs, with some seeking support services and others just looking to vent.

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“Saying, ‘I hear you, I’m so sorry you’re going through (this),’ some of them, that’s all they needed to say, ‘You made my day so much better...’” Bressler said. “It can make a big difference in somebody’s life. It could be a turning point for them.”

Cherlette McCullough, a mental health therapist, siad that it’s OK to ask for help.

“People don’t know where to start, and then once they know to start, just having that confidence to step out,” McCullough said.

Regardless of the negative stigma, McCullough said that seeing a therapist can improve your life.

Between isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic and social media, youth nowadays are struggling with mental health at record rates. One organization seeks to help youth in need of support.

According to McCullough, it’s better to seek therapy as a preventative measure than to wait for a crisis, and the resounding message is that we must get better together.

“I truly believe that if the individuals in our community are suffering mentally, they are not going to be healthy physically,” McCullough said. “They aren’t going to be thriving, and if the individuals in our community are not thriving as a whole, we cannot thrive.”

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