Published: May 14, 2025 at 6:31 PM CDT
Watch the video on the KKTV 11 News Website.
Porch Light Health’s Chief Clinical Officer, Steve Carleton, spoke with KKTV 11 News regarding anxiety, depression, and how to support a loved one who may be struggling with mental health issues. This May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
Aspen Andrews
I want to thank you for joining us at the 11 Alert Desk today. I’m digital content producer Aspen Andrews, and I’m here with Chief Clinical Officer Steve Carleton with Porch Light Health. And today we’re going to be talking about mental health awareness as May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And we’re going to discuss some mental health issues, signs, and how to help a loved one who might be having issues with mental health. And we’re going to start off by talking about some of the more common signs of mental health issues. So could you Can you talk to me a little bit about anxiety and what that looks like?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, I think when we think about anxiety and we think about common symptoms of mental health and what people can think about for themselves and also think about for their loved ones, there’s a few different ways that mental health and anxiety show up in people. The first one is the most obvious, like excessive worry. People are worrying constantly. They’re doing something called rumination, where they’re just going in a loop about what they’re worried about. That can be very uncomfortable and distressing. We also think about just emotionally. People start to get very nervous, very stressed, increased heart palpitations physically, shaking, shortness of breath. These types of things are really common with anxiety. As well as behaviorally. So when people are really struggling with anxiety, they tend to pull back on all those other activities in life that make life worth living and that they enjoy doing. They pull back from those more.
Aspen Andrews
Right. Could you talk to me a little bit about depression and what that might look like?
Steve Carleton
Anxiety and depression, a lot of times, they go hand in hand. They’re very similar. And a lot of times we talk about where there’s smoke with fire. If people are experiencing anxiety, It’s really common to also experience depressive symptoms. And a lot of the times, it’s just how people are experiencing that significant amount of distress in terms of how they think about it. But depression, very similarly, follows a clear path. Emotionally, people are just feeling down depressed. Physically, they talk about a numbness, a fatigue, a vacancy, or just a feeling like there’s a void of something missing in their life or impending dread or doom. And then cognitively, they’re really down. They’re feeling like they’re a failure. They’re feeling like life isn’t worth living. They’re telling themselves a a lot of unhelpful messages that can sometimes perpetuate that depression. And so, yeah, it’s a very uncomfortable state. Depression and anxiety both can can cause significant distress for people.
Aspen Andrews
And I know many times mental health issues can go undiagnosed. So if you have a family member, loved one who might be suffering those symptoms, how do you bring it up?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, and I think if you’re a family member, a loved one, especially with depression, which I’ll notice is eating a lot more or eating a lot less. You’re noticing disturbance in sleep, sleeping a lot more, more often, or sometimes it can show up as sleeping a lot less. And if you’re starting to notice a significant change in how your loved one is behaving, it’s good to pick a specific spot and to express concern and offer support, not judgment. How can you offer support? How can we help you through this? What do you need from me? Can I help you find a therapist? Can I help you get some care? Care or help that you need. That is always a good place to start with people.
Aspen Andrews
And how can you support a loved one or friend that might be dealing with those mental health issues?
Steve Carleton
I think the number one thing is just showing up for people. You need to continually show up and be there and be a support. Oftentimes, again, when people are struggling with anxiety and depression, they distance themselves from those really important relationships. They They just don’t feel motivated to get up, get out of the house. And so showing up for them, asking questions, asking how you can help with depression in particular, if you’re worried about suicide, asking directly, are you thinking about killing yourself? Are you thinking about suicide? Asking that question directly is critical. People often, if they are depressed in those states, will say yes. And if that is the case, get them to an emergency room, get get them some help immediately.
Aspen Andrews
And whether it’s recently diagnosed or not, do you think lifestyle changes can be important with mental health conditions?
Steve Carleton
Absolutely. So the solutions to these types of problems can be a lot of things, and they can also be really simple things. So just developing a structure and sticking to it. Not a rigid routine schedule, but having Having specific, I’m going to go for a walk around the block today. I’m going to get up, I’m going to make my bed, I’m going to brush my teeth, I’m going to eat breakfast. Starting really small with tangible tasks that people can find success with is really a great start. Because those can often be as simple as they sound. They can be incredibly difficult if you’re really depressed to follow through on. So just having those simple stepping stones can just lead to more momentum and more traction and ultimately lead to recovery and starting to feel better.
Aspen Andrews
And do these conditions typically persist throughout a person’s whole lifetime?
Steve Carleton
Yeah, that’s a great question. So when we think about common mental health issues like anxiety and depression, a lot of times these do tend to circle back, right? If it is organic in your brain, you’re just predisposed, you have a history of this in your family, it can be something that goes in cycles. As uncomfortable as it is, it is normal. Somebody with depression will go through different episodes of that. I think the other significant contributor, when these are isolated events is when something significant happens. If you experience a death of a loved one, you experience a job loss, you experience some type of stressful or even traumatic event, like events, specific events that are really disturbing can also tend to lead to these episodes of depression, anxiety, and be a hard time for people.
Aspen Andrews
And what are some signs that things might be getting worse with a friend or loved one? And also, how do you talk to them about it?
Steve Carleton
It really is that isolation. That’s the thing that, as a clinician, worries me more than anything else. What I always tell junior clinicians and a client clients and people that ask the question, if you stop seeing that person, that’s when they’re most at risk. If they really fall off the radar, you haven’t seen them or heard from them in weeks, months, that’s perhaps the most concerning sign. And that is a time to reach out and say, Are you okay? Just ask the question directly. I think that’s the best advice. The worst thing that can happen is somebody gets upset and they gripe at you. Then maybe they yell at you, maybe they hang up on you, but at least make the call and say, I’m worried about you. Are you doing okay? And ask it in a way that will encourage them to share with you and open up a little bit.
Aspen Andrews
Exactly. And you’ve given us a lot of great information today. But if people want more information, where can they go?
Steve Carleton
Yeah. So when we think about Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s really important to understand that for 20 % of people with mental health issues also struggle with a substance use disorder, right? And so they oftentimes go hand in hand. So people can have mental health issues, and they can also have a substance use disorder. And it’s a way of self-medicating for those uncomfortable, anxious, and depressed feelings. And so if that is the issue, it’s really good to reach out to Porch Light Health. We’re right there in your backyard in Colorado Springs, and we’re a great option if it is substance-related. If it’s not substance-related, I think NAMI, National Association of Mental Illness.Com, N-A-M-I, that’s a great resource for people as well.
Aspen Andrews
Great. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me this afternoon a little bit about Porch Light Health during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Steve Carleton
Yeah. Thank you, Aspen.
