Where to Start When It Feels Like the World Is Ending

Dek goes here…

The world isn’t ending. Or, wait…COVID cases are up; maybe it is. But yesterday was great; things are going to be fine. Or are they?

Feel like you’re on a roller coaster? Us too. Stress, sadness, anxiety, and anger are normal emotions. But when they pop up suddenly with enough intensity to give you whiplash (or live in your gut like a boulder every moment of every day), when you jolt awake halfway through your sleep cycle and lie awake playing a loop of that awkward interaction with a four-top five years ago, when the only time you clear the already low bar of “I’m fiiiiiiine,” is when you’re three drinks in—it’s time to ask for help. That’s a daunting task at the best of times (and we all agree that now is definitely not the best of times). So this list of mental health resources, compiled by our partners at Eat Denver, is a handy starting point. When it feels like your world is coming apart at the seams—or even if you just want to take a break from the fake-smile eye crinkles you put on when you don your mask—the mental health resources listed below can help.

Emergency Services

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
  • Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 24 hours per day, 7 days per week
• Crisis Text Line
  • Text 741741
  • Chat via its Facebook page
• Colorado Crisis Services
  • Call 1-844-493-TALK (8255) 
  • Text “TALK” to 38255
  • Walk in to one of the nine centers across Colorado

COVID-Specific Mental Health Resources

• Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guidance
• Colorado Department of Human Services Guidance
• Mental Health America
• Displaced Workers Pro Bono Program at Khesed Wellness
  • Up to 12 free virtual therapy sessions for displaced workers
• Care for Your Coronavirus Anxiety

Therapy

• Khesed Wellness
• Maria Droste Counseling Center
• Therapeasy

Free Mental Health Screenings

• Help Yourself. Help Others.
• Mental Health Colorado
• Man Therapy

Connecting with Others

• CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach & Wellness)
• Mental Health Center of Denver Dahlia Campus
• Chefs with Issues
  • Chefs with Issues Facebook page
• Ben’s Friends

Apps

• Headspace
• Moodfit
• Calm
• T2 Mood Tracker
• myStrength

In the Restaurant  

• Center for Workplace Mental Health (Employee Assistance Programs)
• I Got Your Back
• Headspace for Work

Resources for BIPOC Folks

• Therapy for Black Girls
• Servicios de La Raza
• Denver Indian Health and Family Services
• Asian Pacific Development Center

Resources for LGBTQ+ Folks

• The Center on Colfax
• Transgender Center of the Rockies

Addiction & Substance Abuse

• Face it Together

Classes and Certifications

• Mental Health First Aid

Other Resources

• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
• Mental Health Colorado

Talk to us! Email your experiences (and thoughts, opinions, and questions—anything, really) to askus@diningout.com.