#mentalhealthawarenessmonth Archives - MINES and Associates https://minesandassociates.com/tag/mentalhealthawarenessmonth/ An International Business Psychology Firm Thu, 05 Oct 2023 22:37:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 How to Support a Colleague Living with Mental Illness https://minesandassociates.com/how-to-support-a-colleague-living-with-mental-illness/ https://minesandassociates.com/how-to-support-a-colleague-living-with-mental-illness/#respond Mon, 10 Oct 2022 18:53:33 +0000 https://minesblog.wordpress.com/?p=4569 Mental illness is a lot more common than you may think — nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults have been diagnosed with at least one mental illness. This means that it’s more likely than not, especially if you work at a large company, that at least one of your colleagues lives with a mental health condition. [...]

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Mental illness is a lot more common than you may think — nearly 1 in 5 U.S. adults have been diagnosed with at least one mental illness. This means that it’s more likely than not, especially if you work at a large company, that at least one of your colleagues lives with a mental health condition.

Work is one of the biggest and most important areas of our lives. If your colleague lives with a mental illness, then symptoms might show up at work. They could also disclose their mental illness to you if you have a positive relationship. The way you react to them could make a huge difference in their life.

If you suspect, or know, that someone you work with has a mental illness, there are so many things you can do to support them.

Here are 6 ways that you can support a colleague living with mental illness.

1. Be open to the conversation

It can be a tricky situation to navigate if you suspect a colleague needs mental health support, but they don’t directly talk to you about it. You might not know if you should be the one to bring it up, or if you should wait for them to come to you.

In general, you can show that you’re open to having this conversation with them. This could mean expressing your views about mental health and your hope to increase awareness about it in the workplace. It may also mean bringing up your own mental health issues if you feel comfortable doing so.

You can also ask your colleague how they’re feeling. If you’ve noticed symptoms at work, you could gently let them know that you’re there to support them if they’re going through anything.

If your colleague denies that anything is wrong or avoids talking about it, there may not be much you can do. Continue leaving the door open for if and when they ever do feel ready.

2. Respect confidentiality

If a colleague confides in you about their mental illness, then assume that this information should be kept confidential — even if they don’t explicitly tell you so.

Although we’ve come a long way in terms of mental health stigma, it should be your colleague’s choice — and theirs alone — to decide whether they want others at your workplace to know about their mental illness.

There are a few exceptions to this rule, and that’s if you have a legitimate reason to believe that your colleague could be a danger to themselves or others. For example, if they’ve expressed to you that they want to hurt themselves or others at work, then you may need to let your manager or human resources department know.

3. Don’t label

Every person deserves the right to define their mental illness in their own way. If your colleague hasn’t specifically told you what their mental health diagnosis is, then avoid using any terms that refer to any diagnoses or labels.

For example, if your colleague has told you that they’ve been feeling low energy and sad, but haven’t used the word “depressed,” then you shouldn’t use that term, either. Focus on how they’ve told you they’re feeling, not on diagnoses or labels.

Other labels should be avoided altogether because they can be taken as offensive. Some of these labels include terms like “addict” or “alcoholic.” You should also make sure you’re using any mental health terms correctly. For example, if your colleague has told you that they have a psychotic disorder, do not refer to them as a “psychopath” — these are not the same thing.

4. Be understanding

Many people with mental illness show no signs of it at work. For others, keeping up with their regular work routine may start to become difficult when their symptoms are flaring up. You might notice that your colleague’s mental illness has begun to affect their work performance.

Be understanding of this. Focus on doing your own work, and supporting your colleague when you can. Try to be patient — your colleague’s mental health isn’t their choice.

5. Practice active listening

Active listening is a communication style that can help you to convey empathy and understanding. One of the key components of active listening is using reflections. Instead of giving your own thoughts or advice, allow your colleague to express how they feel — then reflect this back to them to communicate understanding.

For example, let’s say your colleague tells you, “I’ve been feeling so blah lately and I don’t know why.” Avoid giving unsolicited advice, like “You should go to the doctor. It could be a physical thing or it could be depression.” Instead, reflect: “It sounds like you’re feeling really low. What else are you feeling?”

Open questions like this one can invite your colleague to elaborate more on their experience.

Another important piece of active listening is non-verbal communication. Face the person as they’re talking to you. Turn away from any distractions like your email. Really focus on what your colleague is saying, instead of thinking about what you’re going to say next.

6. Encourage them to get support

If your colleague isn’t already connected to mental health support, then helping them find a specialist may be one of the most important ways that you can help them. If they’re ready to get help, work with them to look through your workplace insurance plan’s mental health provider directory. Going through insurance is one of the most affordable ways to get mental health treatment.

Your workplace may also have other mental health benefits, like an Employee Assistance Program, that can help your colleague.

Lastly, consider talking to your colleague about seeking support from supervisors or human resources. Again, this is their decision and their decision alone. But it may be a good idea to remind them that they won’t be eligible for accommodations or legal protections if your employer isn’t aware that they live with a mental illness.

To Your Wellbeing

– The MINES Team

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]]> https://minesandassociates.com/how-to-support-a-colleague-living-with-mental-illness/feed/ 0 MINES & Associates’ Cutting-Edge Opioid Complex Case Management Program https://minesandassociates.com/mines-associates-cutting-edge-opioid-complex-case-management-program/ https://minesandassociates.com/mines-associates-cutting-edge-opioid-complex-case-management-program/#respond Mon, 14 May 2018 18:48:11 +0000 https://minesblog.wordpress.com/?p=3907 MINES & Associates innovative opioid complex case management program helps manage treatment, control costs, and combat predatory facilities amid growing opioid crisis MINES & Associates (MINES), a nationally recognized business psychology firm, helps self-insured organizations with its innovative Opioid Complex Case Management Program aimed at improving treatment and reducing costs of opioid abuse treatment cases. The [...]

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MINES & Associates innovative opioid complex case management program helps manage treatment, control costs, and combat predatory facilities amid growing opioid crisis

MINES & Associates (MINES), a nationally recognized business psychology firm, helps self-insured organizations with its innovative Opioid Complex Case Management Program aimed at improving treatment and reducing costs of opioid abuse treatment cases. The program counters the egregious exploitation of clients by predatory treatment facilities.

MINES has been at the forefront of managed care services, providing complex case management services that produce cost-effective care in the least restrictive settings. MINES has saved its self-insured clients tens of millions of dollars while ensuring that the patient has received appropriate care.

MINES accomplishes this through an aggressive complex case management protocol designed to communicate directly with the patient and their family regarding costs, treatment, expectations for the facility regarding pre-certification, concurrent review, discharge planning, and long-term aftercare. MINES limits the number of UAs, mitigates costs to usual and customary or Medicare percentages, requires immediate discussion of discharge planning and family involvement, and re-integration into the patient’s community. These patients require long-term aftercare and support from case management.

MINES complex case management protocol functions as a patient advocate service to help patients navigate the treacherous array of predatory facilities, where, in some cases, case rates can run from $100,000 to over $1,000,000when care costs should be in the $9,000 to $30,000 range at a credible facility. The patient is often compromised by their drug use and cannot make informed choices regarding their own care. The patient’s family often does not understand the patient’s in network/out of network benefits and may just “google” treatment without precertifying care. MINES helps them cut through all the lies, misinformation, and noise to get the appropriate level of care needed.

About MINES & Associates

For over 37 years MINES & Associates has been a nationally recognized, award-winning business psychology firm that provides a variety of services to employers including employee assistance programs (EAP), managed mental healthcare, organizational development services, wellness programs, behavioral risk management, disease management, PPO services, and other behavioral health programs serving a diverse portfolio of clients nationwide.

Please visit www.minesandassociates.com for more information on MINES.

To Your Wellbeing,

The MINES Team

For full press release visit: https://goo.gl/pLMv1E

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]]> https://minesandassociates.com/mines-associates-cutting-edge-opioid-complex-case-management-program/feed/ 0 Mental Health Awareness Month 2018 https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-month-2018/ https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-month-2018/#respond Fri, 11 May 2018 18:22:36 +0000 https://minesblog.wordpress.com/?p=3904 It is time once again in 2018 to refocus, converse, reevaluate, plan, and take action around mental health issues and substance abuse. While this battle rages all year, Mental Health Awareness month (every May) is a time where organizations, healthcare providers, and individuals can share their story to highlight how they fight on the front [...]

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]]> It is time once again in 2018 to refocus, converse, reevaluate, plan, and take action around mental health issues and substance abuse. While this battle rages all year, Mental Health Awareness month (every May) is a time where organizations, healthcare providers, and individuals can share their story to highlight how they fight on the front lines against these issues and for those that those who struggle with mental health issues and substance abuse every day to share their story to help spread awareness and inspire hope in those who may need it most. To look at this issue(s) objectively it is important to look at the data behind it all. Who is affected? How many are seeking care? What programs are there that exist to help those in need? These questions are not new, we ask them every day, but for those that don’t work at an organization that provides mental health services or those that may not suffer from a mental health issue themselves, the problem is a little less visible and these questions are a little more foreign. So, let’s look at, and answer, some of those questions now.

Who is affected

US General Stats:

  • 1 in 25 adults are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 1 in 5 are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness
  • There are a wide variety of anxiety disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and specific phobias to name a few. Collectively they are among the most common mental disorders experienced by Americans.
  • Approximately 10.2 million adults in the U.S. have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders.
  • Serious mental health illnesses cost people $193.2 billion in lost earnings every year in the U.S.
  • Nearly 60% of adults with a mental illness did not receive care in the previous year.

Men:

  • 3% are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 14.3% are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness.
  • Men die from suicide at twice the rate as women.
  • 6 milling men are affected by depression per year in the U.S.
  • The Top 5 major mental health problems affecting men in the U.S. include Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis and Schizophrenia, and Eating Disorders.
  • Men are significantly less likely to seek help for mental health issues than women. Causes for this include reluctance to talk, social norms, and downplaying symptoms.

Women:

  • 5% are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 21.2% are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness.
  • 12 million women in the U.S. experience clinical depression each year. Roughly twice the rate of men.
  • Although men are more likely than women to die by suicide, women report attempting suicide approximately twice as often as men.
  • Many factors in women may contribute to depression, such as developmental, reproductive, hormonal, genetic and other biological differences (e.g. premenstrual syndrome, childbirth, infertility, and menopause).
  • Fewer than half of the women who experience clinical depression will ever seek care. And Depression in women is misdiagnosed approximately 30 to 50 percent of the time.

Kids:

  • 50% of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14; 75% by the age of 24.
  • 20% of 8 to 13 year of age in the U.S. will be diagnosed with some sort of mental illness in their lifetime.
  • Girls 14-18 years of age have consistently higher rates of depression than boys in this age group.
  • Nearly 50% of kids with a mental illness did not receive care in the previous year.
  • LGBTQ adolescents are twice as likely to attempt suicide than non-LGBTQ youths.
  • More than 90% of children who die by suicide have a mental health condition.

 

Sources: click the links for more stats and infographics.

How many are seeking care?

The short answer to this one is “not enough.” A recent report from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration) state that only 1 in 5 adults with a mental illness are receiving treatment. This statistic combined with an uncertain future for Medicare and mental health funding means that employers are often the only path to access help for those in need through health insurance benefits, employee assistance programs, and wellness programs.  These alarming statistics also bring to light how common it is for these issues to affect the workforce, and simultaneously its productivity. So, whether someone is directly suffering from a mental health issue or not, this is a problem that affects every last person in one way or another.

Why we do what we do

If you found the above statistics surprising, you must be new to the mental health conversation because these are nothing new. Mental health is an area that struggles to retain consistent support and funding from public and private sources. Mental health programs, care providers, facilities, non-profit organizations, and even programs like MINES’ Employee Assistance Program have to constantly justify themselves and (re)prove the value it what they/we do. A combination of the invisible nature of many mental health conditions and the stigma behind talking about these issues and seeking care makes it difficult to see just how pervasive of a problem these are in the US as well as the much of the rest of the world. In some areas of the world, mental health disorders can land you in jail or worse.  It is not a “sexy” topic so the media only really rallies around the topic when something happens like a mass shooting, celebrity rehab incident, or some other sensation worthy event. This is a tragedy in and of itself because if we as a nation could just remain committed to improving the support system, communication, and available resources around mental health, so much of this loss of life could be prevented. This is why we, MINES and every other care provider, organization, and individual fights this all too silent war every day.

The relationship between mental health and substance abuse

This month is also about a very closely related issue to mental health,  substance abuse. A large percentage of people with mental health disorders also experience issues with substance abuse, and vise versa. In fact, according to a SAMSHA study, nearly 27% of people with a mental health disorder use illicit drugs, which is over twice as much as the rate of the general population. And of the approximately 8.7 million people that suffer from both mental health issues and substance abuse, only about 7% receive treatment for both issues and a staggering 56% don’t receive treatment for either issue at all. With these numbers, it’s easy to see that there is a huge correlation that links these devastating nationwide issues. Enter prevention week.

Prevention week

This year SAMHSA is spearheading Prevention Week, May 13-19, to help spread awareness of both mental health issues, as they do year around, as well as the prevailing substance use issues that are running rampant without any sign of slowing down. We encourage you to check out their site for more information on prevention week and to see how you can support them and your community in the fight. Check out these links for information on all of the above:

Below is a list of other important resources that can help you if you or someone you care about is suffering from a mental health issue, depression, substance abuse, or if you just need someone to talk to. Many are free, community-based resources that won’t cost you anything but your time. And of course, as MINES and Associates provides Employee Assistance Programs, we encourage you to use one if your employer offers one. EAPs are a great free and confidential resource that can help you, and in many cases, your family/household members, get in touch with a counselor and start the journey to better mental wellbeing. EAPs can also help with a large variety of other work/life issues that may be affecting you like work/life balance, financial issues, fitness, nutrition, and more.

Resources

  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Treatment Referral Helpline
    • 1-800-662-HELP
  • National Institute for Mental Health – nimh.nih.gov
  • NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – nami.org
  • Mental Health America – mentalhealthamerica.net
  • Mental Health America of Colorado – www.mhacolorado.org/gethelp
  • Anxiety and Depression Association of America – adaa.org
  • Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance – dbsalliance.org
  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – suicidepreventionlifeline.org
    • 1-800-273-8255
  • First Responder Crisis Text Line
    • Text “Badge” to 741741
  • Military/Veterans Crisis Line/Resources
    • Online Chat: Visit website at www.veteranscrisisline.net
    • Call: 1-800-273-8255 (press 1)
    • Text: 838255
  • National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention – actionallianceforsuicideprevention.org
  • United Way- unitedway.org/local/united-states/

SAMHSA

  • Help and Treatment
    • samhsa.gov/find-help
  • Child mental health resources
    • samhsa.gov/children/awareness-day/2018/resource-list-traumatic-stress

Going forward

What can we do going forward? Stay loud. Keep talking. Keep writing congress about mental issues that affect you and those you love. Don’t let them wait for there to be a tragic event before the issues get put on their desk. Continue to vote for people that believe in what we do and what needs to be done. Continue to support organizations that are making strides in the right direction. Continue to demand benefits from employers that do more than just the bare minimum to support our mental health. Change is possible but it going to take more than an awareness month. It’s going to take people, all of us, coming together and making this an issue that’s bigger than a month, an issue that cannot be ignored or scapegoated. So, take the rest of this month help spread awareness, and then use next month keep marching, keep shouting, and continue to come together to push change forward because no one is going to do it for us.

 

To your wellbeing,

Nic Mckane

The MINES Team

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]]> https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-month-2018/feed/ 0 Psychology of Performance #62: Veteran’s Mental Health, Memorial Day and President Trump’s Stigmatization During Mental Health Month* https://minesandassociates.com/psychology-of-performance-62-veterans-mental-health-memorial-day-and-president-trumps-stigmatization-during-mental-health-month/ https://minesandassociates.com/psychology-of-performance-62-veterans-mental-health-memorial-day-and-president-trumps-stigmatization-during-mental-health-month/#respond Fri, 26 May 2017 17:23:53 +0000 https://minesblog.wordpress.com/?p=3625 *This blog has nothing to do with party affiliation, it is about leadership, modeling, and stigma and its consequences. President Trump has made stigmatizing comments related to mental health during Mental Health Awareness month (May 2017). This is unacceptable leadership behavior on many levels. As the Commander-In-Chief of our armed forces, he has now sent [...]

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]]> *This blog has nothing to do with party affiliation, it is about leadership, modeling, and stigma and its consequences.

President Trump has made stigmatizing comments related to mental health during Mental Health Awareness month (May 2017). This is unacceptable leadership behavior on many levels. As the Commander-In-Chief of our armed forces, he has now sent a message to our active duty personnel and veterans that it is ok to call people “nut jobs” and other derogatory names related to mental illness, psychological stress, and behavioral problems. The irresponsible nature of this during Mental Health Awareness Month, and right before Memorial Day when we honor those who have served our country, now sends a message to our active duty personnel and veterans that they should not seek help or they will suffer social or job-related consequences.

Why is this a problem?

You may be wondering why am I making an issue of this? The US Department of Veterans Affairs has the following quick facts (not fake news, just the facts).

  • In 2011, more than 1.3 million Veterans received specialized mental health treatment from VA for mental health related issues.
  • The Rand Center for Military Health Policy Research, Invisible Wounds of War, 2008 noted that of the 1.7 million veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, 300,000 (20%) suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression.
  • The American Psychological Association has identified the critical need for mental health professionals trained to treat post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Please review this commentary. http://www.apa.org/about/gr/issues/military/critical-need.aspx

The commentary goes on to note:

  • suicide rates are increasing for returning service members;
  • unemployment rates for veterans outpaces the civilian rate;
  • brain injuries are linked to PTSD;
  • female veterans are particularly likely to suffer from mental health issues related to “military sexual trauma” (20%);
  • many in need (about 60-70%) do not seek help;
  • stigma associated with mental illness in military communities; and
  • long term consequences of unaddressed mental health needs.

 

Leadership and Stigma

It is well established in the psychological literature that social learning through the modeling by others has an impact on subsequent learning and behavior. When President Trump engages in direct insults to people while using derogatory mental health terms, his subordinates, employees, constituency, and his military receive the message that he is modelling that implies that having a mental illness (caused by serving our country) or stress (caused by serving our country) means you are less of a person, not competent to work, is something to be ashamed of, and should be kept a secret. Furthermore, it gives others permission to act in a similar manner further pushing those who are concerned about seeking help away and reinforces the stigma in the military and in society. Finally, his comments about grabbing women’s genitalia that came to public awareness while he was a presidential candidate further erode female military personnel’s safety in their own units when twenty percent (20%) have already experienced “military sexual trauma”.

Psychology of Performance

Employees’ performance can be negatively impacted by “bullying behavior”, or demeaning comments about their illnesses. It is exacerbated when leadership models this behavior because then it becomes acceptable with no organizational accountability. The consequences are lowered productivity, increased absenteeism, presenteeism, and increased medical costs. The cost of untreated mental illness to employers, families, and society is significant. President Trump’s behavior as a leader in this area is concerning and needs to stop.

Memorial Day

This Memorial Day, I ask you to remember those who served and honor those who are still alive by letting them know the pain and suffering they experienced can be healed if they have such symptoms. They deserve our support, compassion, and gratitude. There are many resources available to them, encourage them to use them. Finally, stand up to those such as our President and Commander-In-Chief who model unskilful and unwholesome behavior.

 

Have a day filled with loving kindness and compassion!

Bob

Robert A. Mines, Ph.D., Chairman and Psychologist

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]]> https://minesandassociates.com/psychology-of-performance-62-veterans-mental-health-memorial-day-and-president-trumps-stigmatization-during-mental-health-month/feed/ 0 Mental Health Awareness: As Told by a New Dad, who is Mentally Unaware https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-as-told-by-a-new-dad-who-is-mentally-unaware/ https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-as-told-by-a-new-dad-who-is-mentally-unaware/#respond Mon, 08 May 2017 15:05:44 +0000 https://minesblog.wordpress.com/?p=3621 I was told the birth of my daughter would have significant effects on my sleep schedule, social schedule, and life in general. One can never truly understand what that means until one is in that situation. Needless to say, our newborn baby, while we love her dearly, has caused my wife and I to change [...]

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]]> I was told the birth of my daughter would have significant effects on my sleep schedule, social schedule, and life in general. One can never truly understand what that means until one is in that situation. Needless to say, our newborn baby, while we love her dearly, has caused my wife and I to change some things in our lives, if only temporarily. One of those things that have changed is our sleep (or lack of) schedule. I’ve always thought I was quite efficient at functioning with little to no sleep. Having certain sets of life circumstances… think long nights in Vegas, middle of the night hiking trips, and overnight flights across the globe… I always saw myself as someone who can manage without sleep, and still have the ability to be aware of not only my needs but other people’s as well. With this new experience of fatherhood, I’m learning that long nights in Vegas and long nights with a crying baby are two drastically different experiences. Being a new father has also made me realize how unaware I can be of my own mental health. I find myself thinking mostly about my new baby and my wife, and what their needs are, and by the time I realize what I’m needing, it’s too late and I’m in a crabby mood.

Thinking more about this made me realize how easy it is for us to lose track of what we’re needing, as well as other people’s mental health needs. As a therapist, I like to think that I am usually good at being aware of others’ needs, understanding what kind of support they are seeking, and encouraging them to pay attention to their mental health. However, when a big, life-changing event happens, or when we get wrapped up in our day to day lives, it’s easy to lose focus of what we may be lacking emotionally, and what we need to “fill up our tank”.

Because of how easy it has become for me to lose awareness, particularly on days after a very long sleepless night, I’ve started a new habit. Every day on my way home from work, after I exit on to a certain street, I use that time to check in with myself and ask myself how things are going. That exit is my signal to make myself aware of anything I may be needing.  As I work to cement this new habit into a daily ritual, I will also start to look at what strategies I can employ and how I can adjust my perspective so I won’t be burnt out or be frustrated at my darling daughter.

What is your “exit” on the way home from work? What is needed to keep your “tank” full? I encourage you to take a moment and make yourself aware of what you may be needing and how you’re doing. It doesn’t take much time and it sure beats waiting until you’re emotionally exhausted to realize you’re struggling. Once you find your “exit” and know what you need to do so you don’t get burnt out, take the necessary time to find what strategies you can employ and how you can make this a new habit.

Here are some identifiable warning signs that you be close to burning out to watch for along with some self-care tips.

Warning Signs

  • Increased illness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Your mind feels fuzzy
  • You feel stressed all the time, along with increased anxiety
  • Loss of enjoyment or pleasure for working, successful completion of projects, or even being with friends and family.
  • You are crabby, grouchy, or just not in a good mood
  • You forget appointments, due dates, and possibly even social events.
  • You have chronic fatigue

Self-Care Tips

  • Just say “No”- It is ok to decline a new project if you are feeling overwhelmed.
  • Take time to relax. If you need assistance with this try guided meditation, massage, or even yoga.
  • Make sure you take the time to fulfill all 8 areas of your wellbeing on a regular basis to help you overcome burnout and eliminate some stressors.
    • Physical- sleep, eat, exercise enough.
    • Spiritual- keep an eye on what you value and what your purpose is and make sure you do that activity often.
    • Intellectual- Find an activity that is interesting to do- something to stretch your imagination, creativity, and make you use your brain in a different way than you do every day.
    • Financial- Try using a financial calculator or meet with a financial advisor to discuss your personal situation. Talking about your finances and knowing what you need to accomplish to be financially stable is a good starting point to feeling less stressed, overwhelmed, and burnt out.
    • Social- Even if you don’t feel like you have time, make time to be with friends and family so they can support you in your goals, or babysit your child so you can be with your partner alone.
    • Emotional- Stay positive. Find something positive each day to focus on- your daughter is healthy, you have a job etc. If you struggle with this, look up how to reframe negative thoughts into positive ones.
    • Environmental- Your environment includes your social, natural outdoor, and built environment. Take time look at your surroundings and maybe check out that store or museum you always drive by because you are too busy.
    • Occupational- Take 5 minutes of your day to talk to a co-worker to learn from them, connect with them, and see how you can support each other at work.

We all have these areas that we need to fulfill in order to be successful, less stressed, and energized to face the next day and adventure. I hope with these tips and reminders, you can quickly recognize when and how to fill your “tank” and be able to handle late nights and responsibilities that we all have. And don’t forget to find that “exit” so you are reminded to take the time to do these things and be mentally aware.

As always if you need help with any of this or just need to talk, please use the resources that are available to you. If you have an Employee Assistance Program at work don’t hesitate to call them. If MINES is your EAP give us a call anytime. It’s free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day. You can reach us at 1-800-873-7138.

 

 

To Your Wellbeing,

James D. Redigan, LPC

The MINES Team

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]]> https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-as-told-by-a-new-dad-who-is-mentally-unaware/feed/ 0 Mental Health Awareness Month 2017 https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-month-2017/ https://minesandassociates.com/mental-health-awareness-month-2017/#respond Mon, 01 May 2017 15:03:49 +0000 https://minesblog.wordpress.com/?p=3609 BeAware As you may or may not know, May is National Mental Health Awareness month in the United States. Here at MINES improving services, knowledge, and awareness around mental health issues, and providing solutions to these issues is our business, our specialty, and our passion. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Mental Health Awareness Month [...]

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BeAware

As you may or may not know, May is National Mental Health Awareness month in the United States. Here at MINES improving services, knowledge, and awareness around mental health issues, and providing solutions to these issues is our business, our specialty, and our passion. Therefore, it’s safe to say that Mental Health Awareness Month is important to us as it allows us an opportunity to jump into the national conversation around critical behavioral health topics on a national level and help the fight to increase awareness and decrease stigma around mental health.

Importance

To shed some light on why this is so critical, consider the following statistics:

US General Stats:

  • 1 in 25 adults are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 1 in 5 are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness
  • There are a wide variety of anxiety disorders, including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and specific phobias to name a few. Collectively they are among the most common mental disorders experienced by Americans.
  • Approximately 10.2 million adults in the U.S. have co-occurring mental health and addiction disorders.
  • Serious mental health illnesses cost people $193.2 billion in lost earnings every year in the U.S.
  • Nearly 60% of adults with a mental illness did not receive care in the previous year.

Men:

  • 3% are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 14.3% are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness.
  • Men die from suicide at twice the rate as women.
  • 6 milling men are affected by depression per year in the U.S.
  • The Top 5 major mental health problems affecting men in the U.S. include: Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis and Schizophrenia, and Eating Disorders.
  • Men are significantly less likely to seek help for mental health issues than women. Causes for this include reluctance to talk, social norms, and downplaying symptoms.

Women:

  • 5% are currently diagnosed with a serious mental illness; 21.2% are currently diagnosed with some sort mental illness.
  • 12 million women in the U.S. experience clinical depression each year. Roughly twice the rate of men.
  • Although men are more likely than women to die by suicide, women report attempting suicide approximately twice as often as men.
  • Many factors in women may contribute to depression, such as developmental, reproductive, hormonal, genetic and other biological differences (e.g. premenstrual syndrome, childbirth, infertility, and menopause).
  • Fewer than half of the women who experience clinical depression will ever seek care. And Depression in women is misdiagnosed approximately 30 to 50 percent of the time.

Kids:

  • 50% of all chronic mental illness begins by the age of 14; 75% by the age of 24.
  • 20% of 8 to 13 year of age in the U.S. will be diagnosed with some sort of mental illness in their lifetime.
  • Girls 14-18 years of age have consistently higher rates of depression than boys in this age group.
  • Nearly 50% of kids with a mental illness did not receive care in the previous year.
  • LGBTQ adolescents are twice as likely to attempt suicide than non-LGBTQ youths.
  • More than 90% of children who die by suicide have a mental health condition.

This month from MINES

All throughout this Mental Health Awareness Month, MINES will be tweeting out stats to stoke the conversation and resources to help those that may not know where to go. We will also be sharing thoughts, resources, and insight from different members of the MINES team around some of today’s important behavioral health issues right here on MINESblog. So please follow if you are not already, and feel free to share with anyone you think may benefit from the information. And if you or someone you know is struggling with a mental health issue, please encourage them to reach out to one of the resources above to find the help they need. And as always, if MINES is your Employee Assistance Program and you need help, information or just need to talk, call us 24 hours a day at 1-800-873-7138.

Resources

Keep the conversation going

As always we ask that you don’t let the conversation end with the end of the month. We don’t have to wait until next year to keep talking about Mental Health especially when there are so many people out there in need of help and information. Keep good track of your own health and wellbeing, don’t be afraid to seek help if you need to, and assist others by talking to them and sharing information and directing them towards care providers that can help them.

To your wellbeing,

Nic Mckane,

The MINES Team

The post Mental Health Awareness Month 2017 appeared first on MINES and Associates.

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