Mental Health Awareness Month – ‘Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World’

By Samantha Munro

Mental Health America graphic – May is Mental Health Month. Want to improve your mental health but don’t know where to start? Get information and resources at MHANATIONAL.ORG/MAY

This year’s Mental Health Awareness Month theme, “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World,” is very fitting in today’s society. When you think you may have a basic understanding and things “seem” to be going well, we are hit with more truths whether it be about ourselves or the world at large.

During this time period, we reset ourselves in a way to tackle all of the information coming our way — filtering the noise and narrowing down on “What can I do about this situation and how can it help me and those to come?”.

As we focus on mental health, it is important to know that it is an ongoing journey to strengthen the mind, to embrace the good and not to let the bad knock us down. Though we may feel like we are falling, the understanding of how your mind works, your fears, weakness and strengths can help you get the help you need that caters to your mind’s improvement.

Mental health awareness is something that everyone should keep in mind of because we will all need it at one point or another, whether dealing with unfair treatment at the workplace, discord between family or friends, or frustration at the ongoing injustices in our world.

To tie this into the American Red Cross, when it comes to disasters, people may feel grief or anger over the damage or loss, fear or hopelessness when thinking about rebuilding their lives, and not knowing where or how to begin.

This is why the Red Cross offers Disaster Mental Health Team provides support by licensed professionals who volunteer their time and talent when disaster strikes. It is crucial for people to know that there is help available to them after experiencing a disaster. Knowing that you are not alone, that there are people who are available to assist you with getting your life back on track one day at a time can give you hope and a peace of mind!

In the end, no matter where you are on this journey, call life, always know where to go and who to turn to whenever you feel lost. You can start with the resources provided below. Also, if you feel as though you can be that resource in someone else’s life and you have the credentials, please consider becoming a Red Cross Disaster Mental Health volunteer.

Mental Health Resources:

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
• City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities
• National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• Mental Health America
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Check Your Stress: April is National Stress Awareness Month

By Samantha Munro

Red Cross graphic – Find a small way every day to cope with stress.

April is recognized as National Stress Awareness Month to bring attention to the negative impact of stress. Managing stress is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Knowing how to manage stress can improve mental and physical well-being as well as minimize severity of health-related issues.

The origins of National Stress Awareness Month can be traced back to 1992 when the Health Resource Network (HRN), a non-profit health education organization, launched a campaign to encourage people to learn about the effects of stress and to provide information on how to manage it.

As a humanitarian organization, The American Red Cross responds to an average of more than 60,000 disasters every year. Even when the immediate danger has. People may feel grief or anger over the damage or loss, fear or hopelessness when thinking about rebuilding their lives, and not knowing where or how to begin.

The Red Cross offers Disaster Mental Health services provided by licensed professionals who volunteer their time and talent when disaster strikes. It is crucial for people to know that there is help available to them after experiencing a disaster. Knowing that you are not alone, that there are people who are available to assist you with getting your life back on track one day at a time.

Keeping a balanced life and limiting the amount of stress is very important. Here are some resources that can be of great benefit to anyone seeking additional information:

• The Mental Health American (MHA) provides some tips on how to reduce your stress by utilizing a Stress Screener.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website offers strategies for stress management
• The National Institutes of Health offers several resources that can assist managers and employees in dealing with stress and anxiety.