Author Archive: July 2020

While it can feel fulfilling to support your loved ones if they are experiencing a mental health or substance use challenge, providing help can also take a toll on your own physical and mental wellbeing. It can be emotionally draining,...

COVID-19 continues to take its toll on a global scale, affecting everything from jobs to schooling and to our mental wellbeing. With so much uncertainty as we near our third year of the pandemic, it’s unsurprising that our collective mental...

Addiction is complicated, and recovery from it is a challenge that millions of people in the United States face every day. Although stigma and misinformation persist, millions of Americans are living in recovery – a daily challenge to choose long...

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a devastating toll – especially on our youth. Emerging data suggests that depression and suicide concerns have increased among adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 21. Even more alarming, a study in the Journal...

In my sophomore year at Bellows Free Academy High School (St. Albans, Vermont), I attended a small conference at nearby St. Michael’s College that focused on the mental wellbeing of student-athletes. I participated in different activities and listened to different...

Everyone has a “mental health toolkit” that helps them through good and bad times. It might contain self-care strategies, coping mechanisms for stressful days or people to turn to for support. As a Mental Health First Aider, your toolkit also...

Your children may be excited to return to school after a long summer – or even a year of online classes. However, the new school year can come with new challenges. As a caring adult, parent or guardian, it can...

It can be hard (or nearly impossible) for some of us to imagine not having our smartphone in our hands or within reach at all times. We rely on our phones for a multitude of things: staying in touch with...

There is no doubt that the last year and half has been difficult, and the COVID-19 pandemic changed what many of us consider to be “normal.” That’s especially true for schools, which switched to virtual learning almost overnight — an...

We have all been there before: a long day of work or school or just life where things pile up and nothing seems to be going the way you want it to. Cue the increased heart rate, scattered thoughts, irritability...

Directly or indirectly, mental health and substance use challenges affect everyone. But for many people in communities of color, the process of navigating these challenges – especially at work – can be even more difficult. It is no secret that...

Interacting and working with people of diverse cultures and backgrounds is commonplace today, and we are presented with new experiences and opportunities to learn from each other often. In fact, many companies and businesses now have established diversity, equity and...