13 mental health resources for black people trying to cope right now
June 6, 2020June 3, 2020
By Rebecca Ruiz
Mashable
https://mashable.com/article/black-mental-health-resources/
Life has been unforgiving for black people in America.
The trauma of personal and institutional racism that black people endure — and have endured for generations — makes such a statement true no matter the day of the week.
Yet, the coronavirus outbreak, which has disproportionately killed black Americans, along with the recent police killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed to demand justice for his death,
more » Read More5 natural ways to boost your mental health during stressful times
June 2, 2020
By Sandee LaMotte
CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/health/natural-ways-to-improve-mental-health-wellness/index.html
Life today is razor’s-edge tense. If your regular coping methods aren’t measuring up, there are science-backed actions we can add on our own to ease anxiety, depression and stress — all done naturally, no doctor’s note required.
If you had to choose just one thing to do to better your mental and physical health, choose to exercise on a regular basis. Scientists believe exercise increases blood circulation to the brain, more » Read MoreGoogle Partners With NAMI To Create An Anxiety-Disorder Self-Assessment
5/28/2020
NAMI
https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/NAMI-News/2020/Google-Partners-with-NAMI-To-Create-an-Anxiety-Disorder%C2%A0Self-Assessment
Today, in partnership with NAMI, Google has launched an anxiety self-assessment tool. When people in the U.S. look up information about anxiety on Google, they will now have access to a clinically-validated questionnaire called the GAD-7 (General Anxiety Disorder-7) that helps evaluate a person’s level of anxiety. After taking the questionnaire, Google will point users to NAMI’s resources.
Anxiety disorders can present in a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms.
more » Read MoreThe Evolution of the Mental Health Movement
Jun 1, 2020
By Jessica Walthall
NAMI
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/June-2020/The-Evolution-of-the-Mental-Health-Movement
As we enter a new decade, it’s important to remember that early NAMI pioneers were up against a society that didn’t understand, let alone talk about, mental illness. People with mental illness and their families were left in the dark, afraid that sharing their experiences could negatively impact their careers, relationships and lives.
In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, NAMI advocates had little to work with when it came to spreading awareness.
more » Read MoreNAMI’s Statement On Recent Racist Incidents
From nami.org 5/29/2020
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) today released the following statement from CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., regarding recent racist incidents across the country and their impact on mental health:
“The effect of racism and racial trauma on mental health is real and cannot be ignored. The disparity in access to mental health care in communities of color cannot be ignored. The inequality and lack of cultural competency in mental health treatment cannot be ignored.
more » Read MoreMental Health an Emerging Crisis of COVID Pandemic
May 8, 2020
By Katherine Kam
WebMD
https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20200508/mental-health-emerging-crisis-of-covid-pandemic
Americans are reporting high levels of emotional distress from the coronavirus pandemic — levels that some experts warn may lead to a national mental health crisis.
“Our society is definitely in a collective state of trauma,” said Jonathan Porteus, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist who oversees the crisis and suicide hotline in Sacramento, CA. Unlike posttraumatic stress disorder, which surfaces after a trauma has ended,
more » Read MoreCOVID-19’s Psychological Toll: Mental Distress Among Americans Has Tripled During the Pandemic Compared to 2018
May 7, 2020
By Markham Heid
TIME
https://time.com/5833619/mental-health-coronavirus/
Late last month, as the full weight of the COVID-19 crises was settling on the country’s shoulders, more than one in four American adults met the criteria that psychologists use to diagnose serious mental distress and illness. That represents a roughly 700% increase from pre-pandemic data collected in 2018.
While this surge in mental distress showed up across age and demographic groups, young adults and those with children experienced the most pronounced spikes.
more » Read MoreWhat Is The Role of Activity for Mental Health?
April 30, 2020
By Brad Bowins, M.D.
NAMI
https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/April-2020/What-Is-The-Role-Of-Activity-For-Mental-Health
Mental illness exerts a heavy toll on society, but only receives a fraction of the funding that physical illness does. There is a universal need for beneficial and cost-effective interventions for mental illness. But what might qualify as an option?
One possible answer is activity! As a psychiatrist treating a wide range of conditions, I have seen first-hand the benefit of activity and routinely apply it to clients,
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