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Mental Health Center

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Self-Harm Awareness Month

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Self-Harm Awareness Month

What is Self-Harm Awareness Month? Self-Harm Awareness Month spans the month of March with the purpose of spreading awareness, breaking the stigma, and providing support and hope to those who have or currently self-harm. Self-Harm Awareness month is observed in the United States, Canada, and parts of Western Europe.  What is self-harm? Self-harm is also known as nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Self-harm describes the act of purposely harming oneself; this act is often done by burning, cutting, pulling out hair, or picking at wounds to prevent healing. Self-harm indicates emotional distress and can lead to injury as severe as broken bones (NAMI, 2021). Self-harm urges a need for healthier coping skills for emotional distress, and though it isn’t a mental illness in and of itself, self-harm is often associated with mental illness such as depression, trauma-related disorders, and borderline personality disorder (NAMI, 2021). It is also imporant to note that self-harm …

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War Trauma, Anxiety, and Mental Health Solutions

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War Trauma

War-related Trauma and Anxiety. In light of the current events unfolding with Russia and Ukraine, we see it as being critically important to highlight the mental health ramifications associated with war-related trauma and anxiety. To start, a traumatic event is one marked with feelings of helplessness, horror, serious injury, or the threat of serious injury of death; a traumatic event can cause physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or psychological harm. Examples of traumatic events include: serious illness, witnessing a death, domestic abuse, rape, incarceration within the criminal justice system, terrorism, and of course, war. Trauma describes the response to a traumatic event and can be marked by impairing anxiety, hypervigilance, and flashbacks.  Many but not all people who experience traumatic events can go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, women are more likely to experience sexual assault and child sexual abuse while men …

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What Causes an Eating Disorder (and How Treatment Can Help)?

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what causes an eating disorder

What causes an eating disorder? Anyone can develop an eating disorder. You are susceptible no matter your race, gender, culture, or age. Nearly 29 million Americans have an eating disorder, with over 10,000 dying each year. Eating disorders are mental health disorders that are treatable and can be overcome with the right help. When trying to understand why some people develop an eating disorder and some don’t, you quickly realize how complex the disorder can be. Two people can grow up in the same household, with the same parents, structure, rules, discipline, and more, yet one may have an eating disorder, and the other may not ever have a mental health diagnosis. What Causes an Eating Disorder? Researchers believe multiple risk factors contribute to someone developing an eating disorder. Someone may experience more than one risk factor at a time. If you or someone you love experiences one or more …

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Self-care Spotlight 002

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Self-care Spotlight 002

By Ashley Barnes, Ketamine Therapy Coordinator at Mental Health Center As if to compensate for the endless parking lot traffic, Los Angeles has some of the best food one can find anywhere. It accommodates different palettes and food sensitivities. You can find whole streets lined with amazing Asian food (shoutout to Sawtelle), you can find vegan food, vegetarian food, spicy food, fried food, restaurants dedicated to greens and salads, Mexican food, Italian food, food trucks, rooftop bars with happy hour menus, and the list goes on. Sometimes, self-care is treating ourselves to a good meal. This weekend I felt a gravitational pull towards Korean BBQ which brought me to the heart of Korea town where the neon signs glowed with the promise of gustatory heaven. On my drive there, I noticed the tension in my shoulders, likely caused by stress throughout the week. Stress: perhaps the mere word is aversive …

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National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

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National Eating Disorders Awareness Week

February 21st starts the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. We want to help spread the word and let everyone know there is help and hope for everyone affected by an eating disorder. This is more important today than ever before. Recent research shows over 10,000 people die each year due to an eating disorder. Also, eating disorders are found in people of all backgrounds, ages, gender, and interests. Around 30 million males, females, athletes, veterans, children, young adults, people with disabilities, and more will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Below are some other alarming statistics that show treatment needs to be a priority: Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses Eating disorders affect men and women. Statistics show one million men and ten million women have an eating disorder at any given time Very few adults, usually less than ten percent, seek treatment for their …

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