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Awareness

National Mental Health Awareness Month 2024

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mental health

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. Mental Health Awareness Month 2024 May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a national observance that started all the way back in 1949 by Mental Health America to bring attention to the crucial nature of mental wellbeing. Across the United States, people and organizations raise awareness about the importance of mental health as well as mental health challenges that people face. About Mental Health According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health “includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood” (2024).  Mental health can be compromised by biological, genetic, or environmental factors – or a combination of all three. For example, if someone is genetically predisposed to …

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National Fentanyl Awareness Day 2024

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mental health

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. National Fentanyl Awareness Day 2024 May 7, 2024 is the third annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day. This day unites parents, teachers,  individuals, community groups, corporations, influencers, and government entities to help put an end to this national public health crisis. People, notably young people, are taking illicitly manufactured fentanyl without even being aware and dying at frightening rates as a result. “Last year, over 70,000 Americans fatally overdosed on illegally made fentanyl. Fentanyl is now found in fake pills and many street drugs, but users are often unaware that their drugs contain the potent opioid. This is an urgent public health crisis that puts all of us, and our loved ones, at risk. We all must play a role in preventing further tragedies” (National Fentanyl Awareness Day, 2024) What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is a Schedule II narcotic under the United States Controlled Substances Act of 1970 …

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National Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2024

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mental health

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. National Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2024 April 2024 marks National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s 23rd annual National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a campaign dedicated to preventing sexual assault. Though each year focuses on a different theme pertaining to preventing sexual assault, NSVRC always centers visibility about sexual assault and how it can be prevented – whether that’s through education about healthy sexuality, consent, or bystander intervention.  NSVRC coordinates a national SAAM campaign complete with the resources and tools needed to hold an event or otherwise raise awareness. This makes it more accessible for communities, workplaces, and college campuses to develop their own programs related to preventing sexual assault.  Sexual Assault and Trauma The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) describes sexual violence/assault as “sexual activity when consent is not obtained or freely given. It is a serious public health problem in the United States …

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Stress Awareness Month 2024

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mental health

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. What is Stress Awareness Month? Stress Awareness Month has been recognized during the month of April since 1992; it spreads awareness of the ways in which stress impacts our mental and physical health as well as urges us to find healthy ways to manage our own stress. What is stress and how does it impact us? What exactly is stress? According to the American Psychological Association, stress is defined as “the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave” (2024). In other words, stress is our own response to stimuli (stressors). Stress can be acute (responses to short term stressors) or chronic (response to ongoing, long term stressors), and not all stress is bad. Some stress can help us better navigate situations such as job interviews or help us …

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Self-Harm Awareness Month 2024

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mental health

By Ashley Barnes, M.S.   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 …

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