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Mental Health Center

November 13th is World Kindness Day!

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By Ashley Barnes Why World Kindness Day? November 13th has been designated as World Kindness Day, an international holiday founded in 1998 to promote kindness throughout the world. The holiday is observed in many countries aside from the United States including Canada, Japan, and Australia. As part of the larger World Kindness Movement, World Kindness Day allows us the opportunity to consider the positive impact that acts of kindness can impart, both large and small. Kind acts can promote unity, positivity, and make a big difference in someone’s life. How to spread kindness. Though there are countless ways we can be kind to others, here are a few ideas to consider in celebration of World Kindness Day: The simple act of smiling at others can promote a sense of safety and compassion. When we smile at someone, we acknowledge their presence in a way that is warm, kind, and inviting. …

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Supporting Men’s Mental Health

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By Ashley Barnes Why it’s important to discuss men’s mental health. While it is important to be sensitive and attentive to the mental health challenges of all identities and genders, men’s mental health has historically gone unnoticed and unattended to. This is largely in part due to the way that men have been socialized, especially in American culture. Due to gender roles, men are often socialized to be “tough,” and to not show emotions that may communicate any vulnerability. Internalizing. Because expressing deeper feelings of hurt may not be deemed acceptable by society, men may turn toward more socially acceptable ways of expressing their emotions such as anger. Men experience the same emotions that other genders do and it is time we break down the stigma that harms men’s mental health. Statistics. According to statistics recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Women are roughly three times …

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Depression and How You Can Support Your Partner

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By Ashley Barnes Depression and relationships. Depression often impacts a person’s functioning in several spheres of their lives including but not limited to employment, education, tasks of daily living, and our interpersonal relationships. Romantic relationships in particular can take the brunt of depressive hardship. Many people report that their romantic relationships have become strained as a result of living with depression. This strain may be due to the relationship dynamic being impacted by a combination of depression symptoms and a lack of understanding. Understanding depression. Understanding what your partner experiences, even if you haven’t personally experienced depression, can help foster a deeper sense of empathy. Some people best understand depression through metaphors. One such metaphor is that depression feels like being stuck at the bottom of a well. Your partner, at the bottom of the well, feels stuck, isolated, and too exhausted to climb out. They may try to start …

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National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month

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By Ashley Barnes   What is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month? October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month and was created to call attention to the illness of depression on a national level, emphasizing the importance of educating the public about symptoms and effective treatment. Further, screening for mental health issues is essential in the course of effective treatment. Depression. Depression is one of the most common mental health challenges that people experience. According to Harvard Health Publishing, “Research suggests that depression doesn’t spring from simply having too much or too little of certain brain chemicals. Rather, there are many possible causes of depression, including faulty mood regulation by the brain, genetic vulnerability, and stressful life events. It’s believed that several of these forces interact to bring on depression” (2022).  Common symptoms of depression: Depressed mood: feelings of sadness, hopelessness, emptiness. Lack of pleasure: in various …

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4 Ways to Heal from Heartbreak

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By Ashley Barnes Perhaps one of the most impactful and profound experiences of young adulthood is our first heartbreak or break up. The pain is certainly emotional in nature but can also show up somatically, hence people describing break ups as resulting in a “broken heart.” The pain is undeniable and valid, especially when considering the time, energy, and meaning that is placed on our first serious relationships. For many, the first serious heartbreak occurs as a result of college. Relationships may end due to partners being far away from each other at different schools. Some couples may strive to make long-distance relationships work despite this, but find that it is too difficult and ultimately part. Others may go to the same school but end up breaking up. We may meet a partner at school, date for a while, and then things may not work out; after breaking up, we …

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