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Tag: mental health awareness

  • Patrick Kennedy Discusses Cousin’s Overdose Death With Dr. Phil

    Patrick Kennedy Discusses Cousin’s Overdose Death With Dr. Phil

    The mental health advocate spoke with Dr. Phil abut losing Kennedy Hill to an overdose this past summer.

    Patrick Kennedy, former Rhode Island representative and son of the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA), is speaking out about the need for better access to mental health services, after his cousin, 22-year-old Saoirse Kennedy Hill, died from an overdose at the family’s compound near Cape Cod this summer. 

    Kennedy appeared on The Dr. Oz Show on Monday (Oct. 28), according to People. There, he called for a comprehensive plan to promote mental health nationally. Part of that, he said, means encouraging doctors to talk tot heir patients about mental health, conducting a “checkup from the neck up,” Kennedy said. 

    “When you go to your physician’s office and they take a family history of whether you’ve had stroke or cancer in the family, they ought to take a family history of whether you have alcoholism, or addiction, or mental illness in your family,” Kennedy said. “Because the chances are, you’re going to be at high risk yourself if any other family members also suffer from one of those illnesses.”

    Kennedy has spoken out about his own struggled with mental illness and alcoholism. He praised Kennedy Hill for speaking openly about her depression, including in an essay that she wrote for her school newspaper when she was 18. 

    “We Are All Either Struggling Or Know Someone Who Is”

    In the essay, Kennedy Hill wrote, “My depression took root in the beginning of my middle school years and will be with me for the rest of my life. Although I was mostly a happy child, I suffered bouts of deep sadness that felt like a heavy boulder on my chest.” 

    Kennedy Hill even revealed that she had attempted suicide after a sexual assault. She ended by calling on people to prioritize mental health care. 

    “We are all either struggling or know someone who is battling an illness; let’s come together to make our community more inclusive and comfortable,” she said. 

    This week, Kennedy praised his cousin’s letter, but said that it also showed how prevalent depression is among teens. 

    “She was speaking to her friends in high school. We’re seeing a giant leap in the number of suicide attempts and rates of depression and anxiety amongst kids and amongst college-age, young people,” he said.

    Kennedy Hill died of a suspected opioid overdose, and Kennedy pointed out that the underlying causes of addiction need to be addressed, even as big pharmaceutical companies are being held responsible. 

    Addressing The Mental Health Crisis

    He said, “So this is not a crisis that’s going to go away simply after Purdue Pharma stopped selling oxycodone. We have an underlying disease of addiction and we have an underlying mental health crisis in this country that we need to address and it’s not as simple as cutting off the supply of Pharma, it has to be more comprehensive than that.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • New York Considers Allowing Students To Take Mental Health Days

    New York Considers Allowing Students To Take Mental Health Days

    Proponents of the bill say that designating excused “mental health days” will help destigmatize mental illness and help start critical conversations.

    New York state legislators are considering a bill that would allow students to take off from school to attend to their mental health.

    Some call it coddling and a crutch. But proponents of the bill say that designating excused “mental health days” will help destigmatize mental illness and encourage young people to feel comfortable talking about what they are going through.

    “No longer will a student have to lie about why they’re staying home from school, and this conversation, hopefully, will be forced out in the open—not just with their teachers, but with their parents and their family members, too,” said state Senator Brad Hoylman, who is sponsoring the bill.

    Indeed there is a need to address young people’s mental health. About 70% of American teenagers view anxiety and depression as a major problem, according to a recent study from the Pew Research Center. And suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people aged 10-34, according to the CDC.

    Mandatory Mental Health Education

    Last September, New York became the first state to mandate mental health education in elementary through high school curricula.

    Allowing days off from school to deal with mental or behavioral health would cement the state’s commitment to supporting young people’s mental well-being.

    “I think that’s a really good idea, because teenagers go through a lot of issues, struggles internally that they might not show to everyone… or even talk about,” student Gabbi Hanna told CBS. “But inside they might be dealing with something they don’t know how to deal with. And having that day off… might help them decompress a little bit before going back into the school environment.”

    Other States Are Also Prioritizing Mental Health Days

    New York would not be the first state to enact such a policy. In 2018, Utah amended the definition of a student’s valid absence to include illness “which may be mental or physical.”

    And in July, Oregon began allowing students five mental health days in a three-month period. Hailey Hardcastle, who helped pass the bill, said the bill was inspired by the national youth-led movement following the Parkland, Florida mass shooting in 2018.

    “We have a lot of kids that are dealing with [symptoms of mental illness] in silence because they’re embarrassed or they think people are going to judge them and not believe them,” said Jennifer Rothman, senior manager for youth and young adult initiatives for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

    Normalizing “mental health days” can help destigmatize mental illness and facilitate conversation about mental health, Rothman said.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Avicii To Be Honored At All-Star Concert For Mental Health Awareness

    Avicii To Be Honored At All-Star Concert For Mental Health Awareness

    The Avicii Tribute Concert for Mental Health Awareness will take place in December in the superstar DJ’s hometown of Stockholm.

    A tribute concert for the late Swedish DJ and songwriter, Avicii, has been planned for December 5th in his hometown of Stockholm. All proceeds from the event will go to mental health and suicide prevention organizations.

    The world famous DJ, born Tim Bergling, died by suicide on April 20, 2018, after retiring from touring in 2016. Bergling had been struggling with pancreatitis aggravated by heavy drinking.

    Original Music

    The Avicii Tribute Concert for Mental Health Awareness has already confirmed 19 musical artists including David Guetta, Adam Lambert and Rita Ora, and will feature some of Bergling’s original music, some of which has never been performed live. The artists will be supported by a 30-piece band during a two-hour set, with more musical guests to be announced in the coming months.

    “We are grateful that his friends, producers, artists and colleagues are coming to Stockholm to help,” said Klas Bergling, Tim’s father, in a statement. “They have all expressed a sincere interest and desire to engage in efforts to stem the tide of mental illness and lend their support to our work with the Tim Bergling Foundation. We are very much looking forward to this evening, which will be a starting point for the foundation’s work going forward.”

    Bergling retired from performing at the height of his career after suffering from deteriorating health for years. He was hospitalized in 2012 with acute pancreatitis, which was reportedly a result of his heavy alcohol use. He had his appendix and gallbladder removed in 2014. In spite of these clear and documented health issues, Bergling was sent what was described as a “flood of hate mail” when he would cancel performances.

    Early Retirement

    The artist spoke on these as well as mental health issues in a 2017 documentary titled Avicii: True Stories, directed by Bergling’s old friend Levan Tsikurishvili who spoke with Variety on the immense pressures the DJ faced before retiring.

    “In the film, you see him working from literally his hospital bed… But I think he didn’t really know from the beginning [at 19 years old] what it means to be that successful,” he said. “No one knew that he could be that successful. It has been a weight for him.”

    After his death, Bergling’s family launched the Tim Bergling Foundation to “focus on supporting people and organizations working in the field of mental illness and suicide prevention,” among other issues. The tribute concert is part of their efforts to reduce stigma around the issues that led to the loss of such an important musical artist.

    “We want this concert to help put the topic on the agenda and pay attention to the stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide,” said Klas. “Policies and tools are needed to detect the risks and prevent suicide, especially among young people.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • What Is Mental Health First Aid?

    What Is Mental Health First Aid?

    These classes offer participants useful knowledge that can be utilized in the event of a mental health emergency.

    Mental Health First Aid is a term that’s gained a lot of momentum lately, especially with Lady Gaga’s Born This Way foundation, which encourages people to learn about mental health.

    A report on CNN explains the importance of taking mental health first aid classes, and how mental health training can be incredibly beneficial.

    These classes began 12 years ago, and close to two million people have attended them since. In 2015, the government allotted $20 million for this program, and in most areas of the U.S. you can take this class for free.

    Inside The Program

    While an eight-hour seminar can’t take the place of seeing a therapist or mental health professional, the program has been likened to learning CPR to equip yourself with lifesaving skills.
     
    Betsy Schwartz, an executive at the Mental Health First Aid program, says, “We’re not training anyone to be a professional. We’re only teaching people how to be an empathetic friend, family member or coworker.”
     
    CNN had attended a Mental Health First Aid seminar in Ohio, a state that’s had to grapple with alarming rates of addiction and suicide.

    As one social worker explained, “Ohio, since 1999, has had a 30% increase in suicide deaths and is above the national average for suicide rates. So it’s really important that we’re getting information in people’s hands. They’re not easy conversations to have and oftentimes people shy away from that.”

    At this seminar, instructors explained the signs to look out for with depression and anxiety, and how to help calm a person in the midst of a panic attack.

    The acronym ALGEE was introduced and explained.

    A – Assess for risk of harm or suicide 

    L – Listen non-judgmentally 

    G – Give information and reassurance 

    E – Encourage professional help, if needed 

    E –  Encourage self-help

    Diving deeper into the final step, encourage self-help, one instructor explained, “It’s going to be very important to have some buy-in into [someone’s] own recovery. We all like to be able to say ‘I did this.’ Get them involved in those decision-making skills.”

    One person who attended the class had lost a brother from suicide and had mental illness in her family. “Everyday in life you forget to listen and be aware,” she said. “If you’re uncomfortable, taking this class will help you become more confident in reaching out to somebody.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Chester Bennington’s Widow Aims To #ChangeDirection On Mental Health

    Chester Bennington’s Widow Aims To #ChangeDirection On Mental Health

    “Hangover” actor Ken Jeong and GnR bassist Duff McKagan are a few of the celebs taking part in the campaign to start a conversation about mental health.

    The widow of Chester Bennington is continuing the legacy of her late husband with a new social media challenge to raise mental health awareness.

    “I challenge you to do a 30-second video on why mental health is important to you,” Talinda Bennington said in a video posted on Instagram. “For me it’s very personal. And I’ve dedicated my life to change the culture surrounding mental health.”

    Even though the Week To Change Direction Challenge was issued last Monday (June 10), people have continued to post videos to add to the conversation using the hashtag #ChangeDirection.

    To kick things off, Talinda challenged Lisa Ling and Linkin Park band members Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn and bassist Dave Phoenix Farrell to post their own 30-second videos.

    Actor Ken Jeong joined the conversation on his Instagram: “As a former physician having dealt with multiple cases of depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, it’s important as a community that we all change direction, change our attitudes, evolve our attitudes towards mental health. We as a community should remind each other life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. And I challenge everyone to change direction.”

    Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan made a video as well with singer-songwriter Shooter Jennings: “This is something we can all do something about… Learn to recognize the signs of people who are suffering.”

    ABC Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton used her platform to shed light on maternal mental health: “The reason that I am passionate about mental health awareness is because it is a leading cause of maternal mortality in this country,” she said in her video. She encouraged women’s health care providers to speak to their patients about mental health.

    Chester Bennington died by suicide in 2017. In the days prior to his death, the beloved Linkin Park vocalist—who long battled depression and substance use disorder stemming from trauma—showed no sign of what was to come, according to Talinda.

    “This was not a time where we or any of our family suspected this to happen… We thought everything was OK,” she said in June of 2018.

    Guitarist and friend Ryan Shuck said that Chester would detail his “hour-by-hour battle” with the urge to drink.

    Since her husband’s passing, Talinda Bennington has channeled her pain to help expand the conversation about mental health. She engages with people on social media, encouraging meaningful dialogue by promoting hashtags like #FuckDepression and #MakeChesterProud.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Robin Williams’ Son Opens Up About Grieving, Suicide For New Campaign

    Robin Williams’ Son Opens Up About Grieving, Suicide For New Campaign

    The legendary entertainer’s son opened up about focusing on his own healing since losing his father as part of an awareness campaign.

    Robin Williams’ oldest son, Zak Williams, is speaking out about his grief and moving on after suicide as part of a campaign to support people who have had a loved one take their own life. 

    Williams, 36, appears on the Instagram page for FacesOfFortitude. 

    “There’s no education in place to tell you how to deal with this,” Williams said in the first post. “To balance how to grieve privately with your family and then also to have to grieve publicly. While it was nice to be heard, I was spending time on the outer layer instead of on the inside. It wasn’t just the survivor network for me, it was the whole world.”

    Robin Williams took his own life in August 2014 at the age of 63. In addition to Zak, Williams left behind two other children, Cody and Zelda, who are younger than Zak. 

    In another post, Zak talked about how he has had to focus on his own healing over the past few years. 

    “I started to feel bad for myself, I was seeking solace and healing through my grieving,” he said. “Once I took out all the inputs and elements of self medications, it all became really raw. It was super painful. I had to stop thinking big and expansive to heal everyone and look inward. I found a lot in there. I realized I wasn’t broken. There was a lot of strength I didn’t know was in there.”

    This isn’t the first time that Williams has spoken about his father’s death and their relationship. He told a biographer that is was difficult to watch his father’s well-being fade, according to Vanity Fair. 

    “It was really difficult to see someone suffering so silently,” he said. “But I think that there were a series of things that stacked, that led to an environment that he felt was one of pain, internal anguish, and one that he couldn’t get out of. And the challenge in engaging with him when he was in that mindset was that he could be soothed, but it’s really hard when you then go back into an environment of isolation. Isolation is not good for Dad and people like him. It’s actually terrible.”

    Williams also told the biographer that his father carried a lot of guilt about ending his marriage to the mother of his children, despite the fact that the kids told him he needed to move on. 

    “He couldn’t hear it. He could never hear it. And he wasn’t able to accept it,” Williams said. “He was firm in his conviction that he was letting us down. And that was sad because we all loved him so much and just wanted him to be happy.”

    Today, Williams serves on the board of Bring Change to Mind, an organization started by actress Glenn Close to reduce the stigma around mental illness. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Instagram Co-Launches Mental Health Awareness Campaign

    Instagram Co-Launches Mental Health Awareness Campaign

    The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Instagram have partnered up to start #RealConvos about mental health.

    A new public awareness campaign is working to shed light on the conversation about mental health. 

    According to the Washington Post, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Instagram have teamed up for the campaign in hopes that it will lead to more conversation around the topic. 

    The idea is that Instagram users will tag content with #RealConvo when a post discusses mental health. 

    As a kickoff to the campaign, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Instagram account featured what they called a “grid takeover” in which the organization shared video stories of nine individuals who spoke candidly about mental health and the importance of sharing one’s struggles on social media (in addition to victories).  

    Some well-known names participated in the campaign, including Pretty Little Liars actress Sasha Pieterse.

    “I think a lot of people are scared of the term mental health,” Pieterse wrote in one post. “Why is it so taboo to talk about? We as a society seem to be way too concerned about what people think. We are all guilty of it. We are all guilty of comparing ourselves to others, feeling like we aren’t valuable, like we don’t deserve or aren’t worthy of the things we hope for in life.”

    Pieterse also touched on the campaign specifically, pointing others to use the hashtag and encouraging them to learn more about the efforts. 

    “Everybody should be doing their best to keep their mental health in check, and that means we should be having #realconvo’s about the way we feel and why,” she added. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to be raw. That’s where we find the diamonds within us.”

    Even if someone is not comfortable sharing their own story, others tagging posts allows them to search the hashtag as well and realize they are not the only ones struggling.  

    According to the Washington Post, searching #RealConvo “reveals graphics, photos and personal stories aimed to inspire, reduce stigma, reframe how people think of mental health, and help people get help if they need it. Candid personal stories give difficult ­issues—such as anxiety, self-criticism, grief and post-traumatic stress disorder—faces and names.”

    As always, social media is not a replacement for real help. If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text TALK to 741741 to the Crisis Text Line.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Beauty Queen Tackles Mental Health Stigma In The Asian Community

    Beauty Queen Tackles Mental Health Stigma In The Asian Community

    Sophia Ng is using her platform as Miss Global to “remove the stigma that exists around mental health.”

    A counselor-turned-beauty queen is on a mission to de-stigmatize mental health in the Asian community, which has long considered it a taboo subject.

    Last August, Sophia Ng, 27, won her first pageant and was crowned Miss Asian America. The Vancouver-born, Hong Kong-raised therapist who had zero experience in pageantry was encouraged to enter the competition to further her mission.

    Ng is using her platform to break the taboo of speaking about mental health.

    “I was once in a suicide depression, and in my hour of darkness, I believed I was worthless and that life was not worth living,” she said during the Miss Asian America competition.

    In February, Ng was crowned Miss Global in her second-ever pageant, and stepped down as Miss Asian America.

    The beauty queen is drawing from her own experience with depression to spread her message that it’s “okay not to be okay.”

    “My passion is removing the stigma that exists around mental health,” she said at a recent banquet sponsored by the Chinese Association of Herculese, speaking in both Cantonese and English. “And I’m currently doing that by doing a lot of speaking engagements, especially with college students, educating them about this.”

    Growing up, Ng played dreamed of playing volleyball professionally, according to her profile provided by Miss Global. But at 16, she tore her ACL and MCL during a basketball tournament and had to have left-knee reconstructive surgery. The psychological toll of the long recovery time and feeling incapacitated, Ng said she became depressed. She isolated herself.

    “While I was still… recovering physically, my mind definitely began to sort of spiral downwards,” she told KQED.

    After a suicide attempt with sleeping pills, Ng saw a therapist who was able to give her a positive outlet to examine her issues. This experience inspired her to pursue a career in psychology.

    As a Chinese woman, Ng is able to understand the Asian community’s general apprehension to  discussing mental health.

    Until recently, she counseled students in San Francisco schools, but left her job to move back to Hong Kong to be closer to family.

    Eventually, Ng would like to open her own therapy practice and help schools and companies support mental health.

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Walgreens To Train Staff In Mental Health First Aid

    Walgreens To Train Staff In Mental Health First Aid

    The 8-hour course will teach pharmacists mental health “literacy” and “how to help someone in crisis and non-crisis situations.”

    Walgreens’ latest public health initiative aims to teach pharmacists and staff how to identify and respond to signs of mental health or substance use issues.

    Through a partnership with the National Council for Behavioral Health and the American Pharmacists Association, the national drug store chain is training staff in mental health first aid—an 8-hour course on “mental health literacy, understanding risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, and strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations,” the company stated.

    “With the growing need for services and resources to help those living with mental health conditions, as well as substance use and addiction, we can play an important role by giving our pharmacists and certain team members the training to help those in crisis,” said Alex Gourlay, chief operating officer of Walgreens Boots Alliance.

    More than 1.5 million people in the U.S. have completed the course.

    “One in five people experiences a mental health or substance use issue in a given year and it’s likely that most of those individuals use a pharmacy’s services during that year,” said Linda Rosenberg, CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health.

    This year, Walgreens will have installed safe medication disposal kiosks at all of its locations. It also offers naloxone without the need for a prescription.

    In 2016, the company launched Walgreens.com/MentalHealth in collaboration with Mental Health America to provide a resource that connects people with treatment options, free screening tools and information such as “How to Manage Anxiety Medications” and “Helping a Family Member Who Has PTSD.”

    Another major retailer, Walmart, is supporting community mental health by establishing a mental health clinic in a store in Texas.

    Last year Walmart opened its first clinic in its Carrolton, Texas store, with plans to open more nationwide. The clinic is staffed by a licensed social worker and offers treatment for anxiety, depression, grief, relationship issues and more.

    “People don’t know how to find a behavioral health or mental health professional. People don’t know where to go and what to do,” said Dr. Russell Petrella, president and CEO of Beacon Health Options, the company that collaborated with Walmart to open the clinic. “We’re trying to mainstream behavioral health services.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • "Wear Your Meds" Buttons Help Fight Stigma Against Mental Health

    "Wear Your Meds" Buttons Help Fight Stigma Against Mental Health

    Creator Laura Weiss hopes her pinback buttons can spark conversations and break down the stigma surrounding mental illness.

    When Lauren Weiss took control of her mental health and began taking medication for bipolar disorder, she knew that she wanted to be an advocate for mental illness. Weiss studies advertising at Miami Ad School in New York City, so it was natural that she searched for a quick, engaging visual cue to open conversations about her condition. 

    Weiss designed pinback buttons depicting common psychiatric medications, like Xanax and lithium. Another button proclaims “Wear Your Meds,” summing up the mission of her project. Weiss told Fast Company that the buttons, which started as a class project, are a way to spark a conversation around mental health. 

    “[It’s a] symbol that represents the story you want to tell, and a gateway into your personal story,” she said. “I know that not everybody wants to be an activist about mental health. With something like the buttons, I think it’s a little more accessible for people who maybe are open to sharing their story, but don’t want to be shouting about it on the streets. They can have this button, and it’s an easy way for people to see it and maybe ask about it.”

    Weiss said that she doesn’t expect everyone to be comfortable broadcasting what medications they are on. Some people have said to her that they are afraid they would be fired or otherwise discriminated against if they were open about their mental health condition and the medications that they are taking. 

    However, she said the buttons allow people who are interested in sharing their story to help break down stigma. 

    “People like me who are talking about this from a position of privilege, in a community where we can feel safe talking about it, are the people who ultimately have to do the heavy lifting and have to do the work around this in order for that stigma to start to be lifted for people in communities that don’t feel comfortable talking about it right now,” she said. 

    Weiss is now selling the buttons online, with proceeds to benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 

    “When you ‘wear your heart on your sleeve,’ it means you’re being honest, open, and vulnerable. When you wear your meds on your sleeve, you’re doing the same,” her website reads. 

    Weiss’ buttons depict 14 different pills commonly used for treating mental health conditions: Zoloft, Lithium, Adderall, Ativan, Klonopin, Desyrel, Lexapro, Lamictal, Effexor, Cymbalta, Celexa, Wellbutrin, Xanax, and Prozac.

    View the original article at thefix.com