May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Northern Light Health has been focusing on the inspiring theme “More Good Days in Maine.” At Northern Light Acadia, we have been using this month to strengthen our shared commitment to care built on a powerful truth:
“People are doing the best they can with the skills they have; they are not choosing to struggle.”
This belief shapes everything we do at Acadia. It reminds us that mental health challenges are not a personal failure or a choice. People who face sadness, worry, anger, or other difficulties often simply haven’t yet learned the skills they need to manage them better. At Acadia Hospital, the team works hard to meet patients where they are, offering understanding, and helping patients build those skills so they can enjoy more good days.
Acadia’s unified care philosophy is part of our everyday work, guiding how we talk with patients, how we support one another, and how we respond when someone offers feedback that helps us provide better care. We are also sharing helpful ways we can all work together to reduce bias so our words match our compassion.
Think about learning to ride a bike with no one to teach you. You would probably fall often and feel frustrated, but that wouldn’t mean you weren’t trying. Mental health works the same way. When people struggle, it’s usually because they need support and new tools, not because they want to feel bad.
“As we close out another Mental Health Awareness Month, we take a moment to champion Northern Light Health’s ‘More Good Days in Maine’ theme,” says Nadia Mendiola, MD, medical director, Pediatric Inpatient, Acadia Hospital. “By remembering that people are doing the best they can with the skills they have, we create space for real healing. We check our biases, stay open-minded, and walk alongside patients and families on their journey, so more people across Maine can enjoy more good days.”
Learn more at
northernlighthealth.org/acadia