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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...

Growing up, everyone I knew wanted to be a police officer, doctor or firefighter. Me? I wanted to be a psychologist. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and have experience providing case management services for people living with...

 Have you ever asked a firefighter, “What is the worst call you has ever been on?” Don’t! Your well-meaning question is like asking them to flip through the mental files of incidents they are trying to heal from. And as...

Some days John McCormack feels like he can take on the world. But then he hears a baby cry or a siren wail, “and my heart starts pounding and I experience a gut-wrenching feeling,” he said. John is a paramedic...

We don’t provide our services in a vacuum. We are people who provide services to other people. And like many first responders across the country, the Clifton Fire Department in Clifton, N.J., is seeing an increasing number of calls from...

From living on your own to partying without a curfew, college offers a panoply of first-time experiences. There’s one “first,” however, that no college student wishes for — a first-time brush with mental illness. But it’s a possibility that anyone...

Damien Johnson owns and operates Charlotte, N.C.’s No Grease Barber School and knows firsthand how mental illness impacts his clients. Johnson says he hears stories day in and day out of men struggling – not with bills or relationships – but with mental...

A death by suicide is often met with a would’ve, could’ve or should’ve. If he would’ve told me, maybe I could’ve done something. Even though he never said a word, I should’ve known. Unfortunately, I know a thing or two...

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is proud to partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America to train local club staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid. The eight-hour course teaches parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers,...

In June, designer Kate Spade’s and chef Anthony Bourdain’s suicides reminded us that suicide does not discriminate. It can impact anyone, and it is often unexpected. Numerous factors can put a person at risk, including family history of suicide, substance...

Your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you. Your beloved pet dies. Your hoped-for promotion at work falls through. We all feel sad or “blue” when bad things happen, but everyday sadness is not a depressive disorder. When you know...

Hi, my name is Ramon Cruz and I am a person in recovery from mental health and substance use disorders. For many years, I carried a good deal of anger and resentment so, instead of addressing my issues, I turned...