It’s hard to be nonjudgmental all the time. We automatically make judgments about people from the minute we first see or meet them based on appearance, behavior and what they say. And that’s okay. Nonjudgmental listening isn’t about avoiding those judgments – it’s about making sure that you don’t express those negative judgments because that … Read more
You’re making a difference for so many people, but how can you be the difference for yourself? You can practice self-care. When we hear about self-care, we often think about expensive massages, retail therapy, yoga classes and vacations. These are all great ways to relieve stress and relax but aren’t always an option. Many of … Read more
One in five adults experience a mental illness in a given year. Unfortunately, many of these individuals are not well informed about how to recognize mental health problems, how to respond or what treatments are available. Often, they delay getting help unless someone close to them suggests it. That’s why it’s critical you understand how … Read more
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call 9-1-1, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text “MHFA” to 741-741 for 24/7 confidential counseling from the Crisis Text Line. Peer pressure. Bullying. College applications. Extracurricular activities. High school students today face a number of personal challenges, and sometimes these challenges … Read more
“More than nine in 10 Generation Z adults (ages 15-21) said they have experienced at least one physical or emotional symptom because of stress, such as feeling depressed or sad or lacking interest, motivation or energy,” according to research published by the American Psychological Association. High school teens spend most of their time attending classes, … Read more
I’ve never been embarrassed or felt shame about catching a cold or getting the flu. I remember having countless sports injuries that required a trainer and sometimes even a doctor’s attention – x-rays, stitches and staples. I even had my own collection of ankle wraps next to my sock drawer in my dresser. I never … Read more
You are not alone. Even though it can be hard to believe it when you’re faced with a mental health or substance use challenge, it’s true. One in five people in the United States experiences a mental health illness in a given year – that’s about 43.8 million people. Despite the prevalence of mental health … Read more
“It’s not really ‘normal’ to talk about mental health with people. Being able to help everyone know about mental health and the real struggles that everyone is experiencing is important,” said Drew Voris, a recent graduate of Kickapoo High School in Springfield, Mo., and one of the students who nationally completed the teen Mental Health … Read more
“While notable shares [of teens] say they at times feel overwhelmed by the drama on social media and pressure to construct only positive images of themselves, they simultaneously credit these online platforms with several positive outcomes – including strengthening friendships, exposing them to different viewpoints and helping people their age support causes they care about,” … Read more
I have been a counselor for 15 years and have watched teens struggle with anxiety and depression. I have lost students. When you become a school counselor nowhere in your training do they tell you that you will lose students, that you will love them with all your heart and know them to the core … Read more
Valley High School has been a part of the wellness movement for a couple years here in Las Vegas but the stigma surrounding mental health has never gone away. Our principal, Ramona Esparza, found an amazing opportunity to partner with the Born This Way Foundation and Mental Health First Aid to bring a new pilot … Read more
There is nothing more terrifying than seeing a wall of flames stretching from horizon to horizon, headed toward your home with voracious disregard for generations of toil, sweat, prayers and determination to make a life out of dirt, grass and too little rain. Over the past decade of drought, northwestern Oklahoma farmers and ranchers have … Read more
I was eight when my wonderful, tall, partially-bald-with-scant-red-hair dad with a smile that could light up a room died. His illness had been part of our lives. Then, one day he couldn’t endure another heart attack. I remember being told he died. I remember people around me. I remember people telling me daddy was out … Read more
Annika was a beautiful soul we were blessed to have in our lives. She was a straight-A student, a musician who played three instruments, an actress who was active in theatrical arts and, although she did not have a competitive bone in her body, played three teams sports: swimming, Nordic skiing and softball. She was … Read more
It was the spring of 2009. I was preparing to graduate from college with my undergraduate degree when I received a phone call from my 19-year-old brother, Bobby. Looking back, I realize that phone call would mark the first notch on a very long timeline that chronicled the worst four years and, eventually, the greatest … Read more
August 23, 2011, is a day that I will never forget. It was the day my brother took his life by suicide. After battling depression for several years, it seemed to consume him on that Tuesday and we lost him forever. For years leading up to that day, Jim sought help from a therapist and … Read more
My husband had his first panic attack in his late 40s when he was driving – alone – through a rural area on his way to a business meeting. He stopped at a rest area to get gas and a snack. Not long after resuming his drive, he suddenly felt like his throat was closing … Read more
Specialized training to become available for pharmacists industry-wide through Walgreens commitment to workplace wellness and the health and well-being of communities DEERFIELD, Ill., May 1, 2019 – As the most accessible health care providers in the community, and also among the most trusted, pharmacists can play an important role as part of patients’ care teams … Read more
A drink or two at the end of the day does no harm, right? This might be true for some, but everyone has their own personal limit and reacts differently to drinks with alcohol. It’s also easy for one or two drinks to become three or four and cause serious physical, psychological and social problems. … Read more
“Could I have done more? Was I too harsh? Too easy? An enabler? Should I have kicked him out to scare him straight? Or driven him to an A.A. meeting every night? Should I have told more people? If I had left, would he have stopped drinking? Why did I stay?” Paula Ganzi Licata lost … Read more
Aetna Behavioral Health is taking Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) everywhere the company has a reach – including behavioral health providers within its network, its internal employees and staff and the communities it serves. “It’s so important to bring MHFA to the communities where Aetna has a presence,” said Aimee Prange, one of Aetna’s MHFA … Read more
“In the United States, over 80 percent of college students have at least one alcoholic drink over a two-week time period. Of these college students, 40 percent are binge drinking on occasion,” according to research published by NYU Steinhardt in Applied Psychology OPUS. Several factors contribute to why so many college students drink alcohol, including … Read more
If you ask Shelley Leaphart-Williams what drives her seven-year run as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor, she’ll answer with one simple word: hope. In the United States, someone dies by suicide every 12.3 minutes, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Parents, children, friends and colleagues. Shelley, a therapist by trade, distinctly recalls … Read more
“My eldest brother had not really been with us for many years. We had been losing him a little bit at a time to a disease we had long held off giving a name. We didn’t know what to call it. Sometimes we thought we knew, other times we felt blind. We held back from … Read more
You’ve probably had a glass of wine after a long and stressful day. Many of us have. But for 15.1 million adults in the United States, this one glass of wine has become an alcohol use disorder that is harder to control. And among those struggling with addiction to alcohol, an estimated 80,000 people lose … Read more
A lot of people drink alcohol to help take the edge off after a long day. In fact, roughly 86.4 percent of people 18 years or older have drunk alcohol at some point in their lives, and 70.1 percent have drunk alcohol in the past year. But what happens when one glass of wine after … Read more
“Of the almost 20 million individuals with a substance use disorder in 2017, more than 2 million qualified as having an opioid addiction,” according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Every day, 140 people across the United States die of a drug overdose, 91 of which are because of … Read more
Science has confirmed that addiction is a chronic brain disease that can happen to anyone. Despite this, there is still popular belief that addiction is the result of weak character or moral failing. We say that addiction should be looked at in the same way that we view other chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension and … Read more
“The crisis is that we don’t understand the crisis, and because of that, countless lives have been lost,” said Rocco Perla, co-founder of The Health Initiative. Every day, opioid overdoses take the lives of our neighbors, classmates and friends. And, according to an analysis Perla conducted at the request of U.S. News & World Report, … Read more
“It was really sad. She was just gone, and we didn’t know what to do.” Kelly Whaley lived in Monroe County, Ind., and was well-known for her kind demeanor and country cooking. She worked in factory lines until her early 40s, when pain from her rheumatoid arthritis became unbearable. Her doctor prescribed an opioid painkiller … Read more
Our oldest child, Jamie, died of a fentanyl overdose two years ago at the age of 27. We miss him every day and often reminisce and recall many fond memories of his life. As a toddler, he was incredibly spirited and curious, always pushing the limits that we set. When he was two-years-old, he would … Read more
Every day, 140 individuals in the United States die of a drug overdose, 91 of them specifically due to opioids. Most of us know someone who has faced an addiction, and maybe even lost their life to it. The death toll due to opioid overdose continues to rise, and that’s why this month we’re focusing … Read more
“I don’t want my colleagues to think that I don’t like or care about my job. It’s literally perfect. I don’t like how little I’ve been able to accomplish lately. How can I have an honest and frank discussion with my superiors about my mental state and still have them trust me to get things … Read more
“Routine stress, including job strain and long working hours, may contribute to serious health problems, including elevated risk for heart disease and stroke and experiencing depression for the first time,” according to research published by the American Heart Association. Constantly connected technologies, fast-paced and highly demanding projects and corporate culture in general can make the … Read more
“One of my coworker’s students committed suicide last summer. When my coworker found out, she didn’t say anything. However, I was able to recognize that something was wrong and I asked about it. We came together as a team and shared how we were feeling, and all provided support to my coworker. “The Mental Health … Read more
“Employees who feel burnout at work often blame their workplace: Three in four employees say their jobs are very stressful and are considering or actively looking for a new job,” according to research published by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. We spend roughly a third of our adult lives at work, which means that finding a mentally … Read more
Mental health and substance use challenges can take many forms. There’s depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, addiction and the list goes on. Some of these challenges are more visible and you might recognize them immediately. Others can be harder to see when you’re not looking for them. But, they are still there. These statistics provide a look … Read more
Peer pressure in schools. Stress in the workplace. Negative memories you can’t let go of. Everyone faces personal challenges and their own journey to recovery. One of the things that makes Mental Health First Aid unique is tailored courses that meet the needs of specific populations. Whether you are a young adult in school, public … Read more
There are 1.5 million people trained to be the difference in their communities with Mental Health First Aid. This means that 1.5 million people know how to understand, recognize and respond to someone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. As the number of Americans facing a mental health condition continues to grow every … Read more
You’ve probably been anxious at one time or another. Most of us have. But more people experience intense anxiety than you might have thought. About 18 percent of American adults have an anxiety disorder in a given year. That means almost one in five people around you experiences anxiety for longer periods of time, at … Read more
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you’re not sure if someone is purposefully hurting themselves with suicidal intentions, please read our guide on how to help someone who is suicidal for more information on how to help make that determination. This article will only address nonsuicidal self-harm. Self-harm – or self-injury – can arise in many different forms, … Read more
“It didn’t take much convincing for Clark Bishop, PharmD, to decide to become a trainer in Mental Health First Aid,” said a recent article highlighting the importance of pharmacists and their staff being trained in this potentially lifesaving program (“On the Frontlines: Equipping Pharmacists with Mental Health First Aid,” Pharmacy Today, December 2018). Bishop acknowledges … Read more
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). On average, there are 129 suicides every day, and for every suicide 25 more people attempt suicide. The numbers are staggering, but there are ways we can help. It can be intimidating to talk about … Read more
Six million American adults have panic disorder, meaning they experience repeated episodes of intense fear called panic attacks. Even people without panic disorder can have panic attacks. Overall, more than one in five people experience a panic attack in their lifetimes. Do you know what to do if you see someone experiencing one? If not, … Read more
When Cindy Whitney saw that many of the 400 to 500 home-bound seniors in Maine whom she serves had mental health needs that were not being addressed, she went on the lookout for an evidenced-based program to help. As the director of the Senior Companion Program at the University of Maine Center on Aging, funded … Read more
Men and women in the military are trained to protect themselves, their comrades and our country. In combat zones, service members live in a constant state of hyper-arousal, also known as “fight or flight.” There is no time for them to process or work through their experiences while deployed, let alone time to recover as … Read more
“So many men and women who served our country did so much more than me and were in so much more danger than I was on my four-month tour. I can’t have PTSD, I told myself, because I didn’t earn it.” Like many veterans, Jason Kander denied his own post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) because he … Read more
When I was a child, I lost my grandfather, a WWII veteran, to suicide and my dad, a Vietnam veteran, to a substance use disorder. But our family was silent because of the stigma and shame surrounding it. As a nurse I have treated more people with PTSD, substance use disorders and following suicide attempts … Read more
Why do so many veterans die by suicide? Thomas Ricks is a contributing editor of Foreign Policy magazine, he reported on U.S. military activities in war-torn countries around the world, he is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and has written five books on the military and national security issues. And he doesn’t have the answer … Read more
It is estimated that there are 19.6 million veterans living in the U. S. While military service can increase resilience in those who serve and build strength in their families, some experience mental health issues that require support and treatment. The statistics surrounding veteran mental health and substance-use are troubling: — Veteran suicide rates remain … Read more
