mental health

Wellness Series - Part 2: Major Life Changes and Wellness

Jennifer Desimone- Jewell — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 19:46:22 +0000

Wellness Series - Part 2: Major Life Changes and Wellness Jennifer Desim… Thu, 11/16/2023 - 14:46

Welcome to Part 2 of the 3 Part Wellness Blog Series. This post will address Major Life Changes and Wellness.

What is Wellness? According to a definition from Pfizer’s website: “Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you're thriving. To understand the significance of wellness, it's important to understand how it's linked to health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), health is defined as being ‘a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.’

Several key areas of your lifestyle are considered dimensions of overall Wellness. They include: social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness. Each one has an impact on your physical and mental health. By making simple and healthy choices on a daily basis, you will be well on your way towards reducing stress, having positive social interactions and achieving optimal wellness.”

How are the above wellness areas impacted by major life changes? One way is disruption in routine. Sometimes these disruptions can be opportunities for growth and change. Sometimes these disruptions present multiple challenges, new or previously encountered. Regardless of the impact of these disruptions on our wellness, adaptation is key.

How does this kind of adaptation occur? First, examine how each of the dimensions of wellness are faring through this major life change: social connectedness, exercise, nutrition, sleep and mindfulness. Are any of those dimensions in need of support? If yes, an inventory of what has worked in the past to relive stress and or cope with previous life changes can be helpful to identify what worked, what could work again and what isn’t going to help in this situation. Asking if any of those approaches can be put into place now can help to formulate a care and support plan. If not a solid yes, what needs to change to make those approaches possible? For example, someone has moved and one of their coping skills was to go for a walk in the nearby park, but where they live now doesn’t have a park. What needs to shift to make walking happen? The coping skill of going for a walk can still be utilized, but needs a modification to make it happen.

An examination of what hasn’t helped in the past can also be of benefit. Previous coping skills can be set aside for the moment, in the service of finding what will work for the current situation. Sometimes unhealthy coping skills are set aside in search for healthy ones.

Sometimes it’s difficult to engage in this type of self-reflection, particularly if the major life change is having a negative effect on one or more dimensions of wellness. In these situations, sometimes shifting perspective can bring new light. Asking “what would I say to a friend in this situation?” can bring new ideas. Imaging life as a movie and writing out the next several scenes can do the same thing.

Another tool that can assist in creating space for adaptation and change is building up self-compassion, which is bestowing the kindness you give to others on yourself. The Center for Mindful Self-Compassion describes self-compassion as having three components: mindfulness vs. over-identification, common humanity vs. isolation and self-kindness vs. self-judgement. Moving from a place of mindful self-compassion may mean taking things slower, saying “no” to more things and creating more space, physically, emotionally, mentally and/or spiritual, so as to care for the self in a more holistic manner. When there is space for love and nurturance, dealing with the challenges that major life events present may become easier. For those who wish to explore this further, there are many free mediations and practices that explore self-compassion at the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion’s website.

Thank you for joining part 2 of our Wellness Blog Series. Continue learning, part 3: Everyday Wellness.

Blog tags

Mindfulness

wellness

mental health

Amy Urban Romaine, MA, ATR-BC, LPC, ACS, ATCS, BC-TMH, LPAT

Clinical Supervisor - Center for Family Services, Grief &Traumatic Loss Services

Coping with Stress

Tara Aquila — Mon, 27 Jun 2022 15:03:20 +0000

Coping with Stress Tara Aquila Mon, 06/27/2022 - 11:03

Ever felt stressed out? Did you ever think to yourself,” Oh wow what a week or day!”. Everyone faces stress from time to time and being an adult by no means exempts us from feeling a mixture of emotions on a regular basis. When we experience some ups and downs all sorts of emotions may come out, and dealing with these big emotions can increase our stress levels to an overwhelming feeling.

Long-term stress can build up and cause adverse impacts on our mental health. In the suicide prevention field most of the time professionals focus on everyone else being safe and being in a good mental state but at times we forget to check within ourselves to practice healthy coping skills to reduce our own stress levels. When our emotions become overwhelming it is important to pay attention and use healthy coping mechanisms to bring our stress levels back to a manageable size. Managing our own stress levels can only then help our professional selves to better assist those we serve. It is a balancing act that requires us to stay attentive to what we as professionals feel within.

We can help ourselves and others by tapping into a variety of coping mechanisms for stress management such as family support which can include spending time with immediate family, chosen family (not related but to us feel like family) or even pets.

Connecting with our positive friends and family members can help us make healthy decisions, encourage us and inspire us, and make us laugh when we need it most. Practicing healthy activities can give you strength and help overcome stress in a variety of ways. Most of the time when we feel stressed we find ourselves in a situation where an immediate solution is far out of reach. Some simple techniques for managing stress in the moment include: going for a walk, listening to your favorite music, or maybe dancing or singing is what you’re into. Do you like to read? Or draw? Maybe going for a jog outside with your favorite music in the background. Tapping into healthy activities can help us connect to others and help us cope with the difficult emotions we may experience on a regular basis.

Let’s be encouraged and encourage others to tap into those healthy coping mechanisms when stress becomes overwhelming. Engage in what helps you get through stressful times and when we practice healthy activities we can engage with others who might be having a bad day.

Let’s work together to encourage one another on how we can reframe stress in healthy ways!

Blog tags

Techniques for Stress

mental health

Carlos Erazo

Project Coordinator - STOP School Violence

Suicide Risk During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Tara Aquila — Tue, 03 May 2022 18:49:06 +0000

Suicide Risk During Pregnancy and Postpartum Tara Aquila Tue, 05/03/2022 - 14:49

Often times we associate depression symptoms as a risk factor for suicide. This is certainly an unfortunate truth but did you know that suicidal ideation is also relatively common among pregnant and postpartum women? When a common person hears of a woman being pregnant you typically associate that as a time of their life in which they are filled with joy and anticipation of meeting their new baby but for some women it can actually be one of the riskiest, and scariest times of their lives as suicide has emerged as one of the leading causes of death among new moms.

While it is important to recognize that mental health awareness has increased greatly in recent years new mothers and suicide prevention is still not nearly focused on enough. In fact, maternal mortality by suicide is considered to be a public health crisis that has silently grown worse with it being the second leading cause of death among women 25-34 years of age and has steadily increased over the last 20 years.

One of the reasons that maternal suicide remains underreported involves how the deaths are reported. Pregnancy related death is defined as a death of a woman while pregnant or within one year of the end of pregnancy. It includes incidental or accidental deaths; therefore, suicides are left out of the stats. Which in turn contributes to the issue of lack of awareness, resources and conversations about the crisis.

We live in a society that idealizes pregnancy with the overall picture of a happy mother and baby. We are inundated with images, from commercials and social media, of motherhood as a positive and rewarding experience. This clashes with the depression, isolation, despair, and psychotic symptoms a pregnant or new mother may feel and can lead to suicide ideation and attempt. This societal myth contributes to feelings of shame, which can lead to secrecy and isolation-the very things that we try to minimize when trying to prevent suicide.

So how can we break barriers? We can help by having open discussions with pregnant and postpartum moms. Many new moms may not seek help for mental health treatment out of fear that disclosing how they feel may lead to a possible termination of parental rights. We can help educate them and their families that not seeking help puts them at greater risk. Women have a great deal of contact with medical professionals during pregnancy and postpartum. We need to encourage new moms to have a conversation with their doctor on how they are feeling.

On a macro level, we need to have pediatricians and OB/GYNs educated on this issue. We can also have new moms complete the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) self-test which is used to detect risk of postpartum depression. This screening tool is used globally and can be found in many languages. Let’s help new moms and their families by giving them permission to feel less than joyous during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Blog tags

Postpartum Mental Health

Heather McBeth, LCSW & The Zero Suicide Committee

Signs Your Child May be Depressed and Ways to Help

Tara Aquila — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 16:04:56 +0000

Signs Your Child May be Depressed and Ways to Help Tara Aquila Thu, 04/14/2022 - 12:04

While all children and youth go through different moods and emotional responses to daily challenges, coping skills like exercise, deep breathing, talking with friends and family, and listening to music usually help us feel better. However, when it becomes harder to manage our feelings; when we have difficulty going to work or school; when we do not want to see our friends and feel hopeless, these are all signs and symptoms of depression and may require an appointment with your doctor.

Depression can be experienced by anyone at any time. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 280 million people in the world have a diagnosis of depression. 3.1 million young people between the ages of 12 and 17 have experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year in the United States. 2 to 3 percent of children ages 6 to 12 may have serious depression. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Over 700,000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds.

There are 3 main types of depression in youth, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, major depressive disorder, and persistent depressive disorder. Symptoms of depression in children and teens can include loss of interest in hobbies, depressed mood, outbursts of anger, significant weight loss, difficulty concentrating, and getting very little or too much sleep.

Sadness is part of the human condition, but lack of hope and lack of feeling worthwhile are not. If a child feels hopeless it is not because there is no hope at all in their life. It is because they feel there is none. This is the same for worthlessness. No one is worthless. Our lives are all worth something. A child feeling that they are worthless is an issue that should be addressed.

The causes of childhood depression are unknown. It could be caused by any combination of factors including physical health, life events, family history, environment, genetic vulnerability, and biochemistry. About one out of every 40 children in the U.S. suffers from childhood depression. Under the age of 10, depression is more common in boys but by age 16, girls have a greater incidence of depression. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded a study which showed that a combination of medication and therapy is the most effective treatment for depression in adolescents.

While therapy and medication should be discussed with your child’s pediatrician, there are additional lifestyle changes one could also make to assist with symptoms of depression. Food and drink choices cause your blood sugar to rise and fall, which can also affect your depression and/or anxiety levels. It is important to encourage a healthy eating pattern for children and adolescents as this will help set the stage for a lifetime of healthier, independent choices.

Here are a few common foods and drinks that are linked to depression and anxiety as well as recommended substitutions for them.

Fruit Juice: The fiber in whole fruit fills you up and slows down how your blood takes in energy. Without that fiber, you’re just drinking nutritious sugar-water that can quickly make your blood sugar rise and fall. That can leave you hungry and angry. That will not help anxiety and depression. Recommendation: Eat pieces of fruit. When you’re thirsty, drink water.

Regular Soda: It has all of the blood-spiking sugar of fruit juice with none of the nutrition. Sugar-sweetened drinks have a direct link to depression. Recommendation: Try seltzer with a splash of juice instead, or add fruit/herbs to water (strawberry/mint/lemon/ lime /orange/cucumber).

Diet Soda: You may not have the energy crash that comes with having too much sugar, but diet soda may be linked to depression. Artificial sweeteners also trigger insulin, which sends your body into fat storage mode and leads to weight gain. Recommendation: Drink water

Coffee: Caffeine can make you jittery and nervous. It could also mess up your sleep. Neither helps anxiety or depression. Recommendation: Try cutting out caffeine slowly. Decaffeinated coffee can actually help make you feel less depressed.

Energy Drinks: They can cause abnormal heart rhythms, anxiety, and sleep issues. It’s not always easy to know the sky-high caffeine levels hidden in ingredients like guarana. These beverages often have loads of sugar or artificial sweeteners, too. Recommendation: Drink water and talk to your pediatrician about adding a multi-vitamin to your child’s diet.

White Bread: The highly processed white flour it's made from quickly turns to blood sugar after you eat it. That can cause energy spikes and crashes that can be bad for anxiety and depression. Recommendation: Eat whole grain bread

Light Dressing/Marinades: Many get their sweetness from aspartame, and we already know that is linked to depression and weight gain. Recommendation: Experiment with oils, vinegar, fresh or dried herbs/spices or wholesome dressings

Ketchup: Ketchup has four grams of sugar per tablespoon, to be exact. And the “light” stuff may have artificial sweeteners that could be linked to anxiety and depression. Recommendation: Try salsa or mustard instead

Frosting: It has around 2 grams of "trans fats" per serving. They're linked to depression. Sometimes called “partially hydrogenated oils,” they’re also in fried foods, pizza dough, cakes, cookies, and crackers. Recommendation: Check your labels. If you do eat fat, try and make it the “good” kind you get from foods like fish, olive oil, nuts, and avocado. Those can lift your mood.

Doughnuts: These have all of the wrong kinds of fats, snow-white flour, and minimal fiber to slow down absorption. They also have lots of added sugar. Recommendation: Make it a treat every now and then but not something you eat on a regular basis.

Processed Foods: Eating processed meat, fried food, refined cereals, candy, pastries, and high-fat dairy products, you’re more likely to be anxious and depressed. Recommendation: A diet full of whole fiber-rich grains, fruits, vegetables, and fish can help keep you on a more even keel. Instead of frozen pizza, freeze individual slices of pizzeria pizza; instead of processed chicken nuggets, try rotisserie chicken or make homemade nuggets and freeze; try baking instead of frying (air fryers are wonderful!), make homemade waffles/pancakes and freeze, make taco meat ahead of time and freeze for an easy dinner.

For more information on the many different types of depression, please visit:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/symptoms-causes/syc-20356007

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/disruptive-mood-dysregulation-disorder

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/persistent-depressive-disorder-dysthymic-disorder

https://www.mhanational.org/depression-teens-0

Blog tags

Parent Tips

Childhood Wellness

Depression In Children

Youth Mental Health

mental health

Childhood Depression

Staci Fattore, LCSW

Parenting - Giving Children Choices. Part I

Mary Beth Woodward — Tue, 20 Jul 2021 20:05:05 +0000

Parenting - Giving Children Choices. Part I Mary Beth Woodward Tue, 07/20/2021 - 16:05

Image the daily life of a child.

"Elijah, you need to get up for school now.”

“Elijah, you need to brush your teeth now!”

“Elijah, stop yelling at your sister and get down here.”

“Elijah, do you have your bookbag? Where is your homework?”

“Elijah, you need to hurry, or you will miss the bus."

When Elijah gets to school, it starts again.

"No running on the playground!”

“Put your pencils away now.”

“No talking in the hallway."

From the time a child gets up to when they are ready for bed, children are being told what to do. So, it's no wonder some children will rebel against this. "Stop telling me what to do!" "I know, I know!" and the famous "You’re not the boss of me!"

These outbursts are not meant to be rude; they are reactions to a life of being told what to do all the time. While children still need directions (children cannot be left to make all their decisions, they are simply too young), there can be minor decisions children can make on their own, ones which give them the impression that they have some say in their lives and are not always being told what to do.

In the next couple of articles, I will explore this topic in more depth, but to get us started, we can explore some straightforward choices that children can be given to help them feel that they have some say in their lives to feel more empowered.

Start by giving your children simple choices.

"It's time for bed. Do you want to wear your yellow pajamas or red ones?"

"It's bath time. Do you want bubbles in the bath or not?"

"It's time for homework. Do you to do it at the kitchen table or in your room?"

Notice that these choices are simple, but more importantly, the parent is still in charge of the situation. Poor use of options would be "Do you want to go to bed or not?" That gives the child too much power. Bedtime is not a choice. Bedtime should be a regular set time (with some exceptions). However, what pajamas they wear can be a choice.

Think about what simple things you can let your children choose.

A shirt to go out and play: " "Do you want to wear the blue or yellow shirt."

How to help around the house: "I need help. Do you want to sweep the floor or help me unpack these groceries?"

And schedules: "Do you want to do your homework right after school or wait until later?"

Check back soon for more parenting tips!

Blog tags

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part IV

Mary Beth Woodward — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 15:13:45 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part IV Mary Beth Woodward Mon, 06/21/2021 - 11:13

"You are what you eat." You might have heard this phrase at some time in your life. It comes from a French phrase from 1826, "Dis-moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es." [Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are]. Slightly different, but you get the point. "You are what you eat" originated with an idea in Europe in 1800 that "the food one eats a bearing on one's state of mind and health." Well, people in 1800 were correct. There is more and more evidence that food can have an impact on your mental health.

According to Dr. Jacka, the Director of the Food and Mood Center at Deakin University, "Eating a salad is not going to cure depression but here's a lot you can do to live your mood and improve your mental health, and it can be as simple as increasing your intake of plants and healthy foods." (New York Times May 18, 2021)

What are some of these foods? The less processed foods you can eat, such as hot dogs, potato chips, and stuff like that, and the more natural foods, such as green, nuts, beans, and even a little dark chocolate, can improve your mood. There are also recommendations for good "gut" foods (ones that will enhance your gut bacteria), such as yogurt, fermented foods, and seafood. (New York Time 18 2021)

It also seems that people who switch to a healthier diet save money. One study found that the average person spent $138 on food a week, but after switching to more healthy diet, the average went down to $112.

There is a lot of reading to be done on the topic, but to get started check out the following articles:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/food-and-mood-is-there-a-connection

https://www.nutritionist-resource.org.uk/articles/nutrition-and-mental-health.html

Blog tags

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness; Getting outside

Tara Aquila — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 16:28:02 +0000

Mental Health Wellness; Getting outside Tara Aquila Thu, 06/03/2021 - 12:28

If you are looking for a quick mental health boost, researchers recommend getting outside. They have shown that just being outside can help people feel more mentally healthy. It feels that science has caught up with what people already know: how many times have you, when you felt upset, just wanted to “get some fresh air.” Well, it turns out that it works.

Researchers have shown that being outside can reduce muscle tension and blood pressure, boosts endorphin levels and dopamine production, and makes us more creative. Plus, it does not take much time for this to happen. While ideally one should be outside for up to an hour to get the full benefits, the benefit can kick in as little as fifteen minutes.

Here are some tips to help you get started. The best, of course, is a walk in the park, or on a beach. It does not have to be every day, but if you can manage two or three times a week, that would be ideal.

For many of us, access to a park or beach is difficult to get to, but local small green areas seem to work just as well. New Jersey has an Open Space Database where you can search free green spaces to explore by county.

If you don’t have transportation or have a disability that prevents you from traveling, find ways to sit outside during the day. Take your computer to the backyard and work outside for a while. Take a short walk around the block. Sometimes just opening the window and sitting in the fresh air can help.

Are you interested in talking one-on-one with a professional? Call Center For Family Services’ Access line at 877.922.2377 or email access@centerffs.org. Our Access support team will work with you to set you up with a professional counselor who can help.

Blog tags

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part III

Mary Beth Woodward — Mon, 17 May 2021 16:53:44 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part III Mary Beth Woodward Mon, 05/17/2021 - 12:53

There once was a psychiatrist in New York who worked with patients who were depressed. While he provided the usual treatment, he would add something out of the ordinary. He would ask all his patients to do a mitzvah.

A mitzvah is a good deed, but not just any good deed. A mitzvah is a good deed where you are not expected to get anything back. You don’t expect an acknowledgment: it doesn’t give you points; you don’t get a reward; and you might not even get a thank you. You just do it because it’s the right thing to do.

After assigning a mitzvah, the psychiatrist noticed that his patients were coming back feeling better, sometimes making significant improvements.

Whether this story is true or not, there is clear scientific evidence that mitzvahs do work. When people complete a mitzvah, the body releases oxytocin, the feel-good hormone. People also report that after doing a mitzvah, they felt they had more meaning in their lives.

What a great way to meet people and become more connected with others by simply doing a mitzvah! It’s another great tool to add to your toolbox as you try to incorporate practices to increase socialization, as part of your mental health wellness.

Your mitzvah doesn’t have to be grand gesture; it can be simple. Let’s say you’re at the market, and a bag of bananas are bought two get one free. Take the free one to a neighbor, telling them you could not eat them all and would like to share. Make cookies for your child's class, even though it’s not a holiday or birthday. Volunteer at an animal shelter, a library, or help at a local farmer’s market.

As we practice and learn to be more social, a straightforward technique is to just do good.

Are you interested in talking one-on-one with a professional? Call the Center For Family Services’ Access line at 877.922.2377 or email or email access@centerffs.org. Access will work with you to set you up with a professional counselor who can help.

Blog tags

mental health

wellness

expert angle

mental health awareness month

well being

professional care

center for family services

social services

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Being Social, Part II

Mary Beth Woodward — Fri, 14 May 2021 14:10:53 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Being Social, Part II Mary Beth Woodward Fri, 05/14/2021 - 10:10

In the previous post on mental health wellness, we talked about the need to meet with a friend face-to-face, either just talking or eating together. However, some people have only a few or no friends. In this post and the next, we share recommendations on how to be social even if you don’t have many friends.

One way to start to be social is simply to be around people. Go to a park and sit where people are milling around or walking. Walk-in a shopping center and enjoy just being there. If you happen to live close to or near one of the shore towns, take a walk on the boardwalk. I knew a woman who was recovering from an abusive marriage. She did not have any friends and was having a hard time trusting people. Once a week, she would head down to, as she called it, “walk the boards.” She never interacted with anyone or tried to start up a conversation, she just wanted to be around people, and she loved it. She was always disappointed if the weather prevented her walk. I always noticed that she seemed brighter and happier after her walk.

Another simple way to become more social is to sit in on religious services. Just being there is also an excellent way to be social without having to do any interactions. Most places of worship welcome new members. While it would be great to join the choir or a group, many people might find that overwhelming in the beginning. Best to start small. Attend a few services, and notice if people begin to greet you. Once you feel comfortable, you might want to participate more and more.

The following advice is a bit odd but fun. Get more haircuts. Hairdressers are natural talkers. You can practice your social skills and begin to make connections. Plus, hairdressers tend to know activities and stuff going on in the area, so you might even make a connection. On the same token, rather than shopping at the large grocery market where no one knows you, try shopping at a trying a small store, butcher shop, or small vegetable stand. The more you come in, the more they will know you and start up conversations.

Blog tags

mental health

wellness

The Expert Angle

mental health awareness month

well being

professional care

center for family services

social services

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part I

Mary Beth Woodward — Thu, 06 May 2021 16:29:56 +0000

Mental Health Wellness - Tips & Activities to Stay Grounded. Part I Mary Beth Woodward Thu, 05/06/2021 - 12:29

May is Mental Health Awareness month. This month, organizations and agencies publish articles on how to identify mental health issues and best treatment practices. This year we’d would like to take a slightly different approach and focus on mental health wellness. In the next few weeks, we will present activities that have been shown to improve mental health. These activities work for people who are currently in treatment, have been in therapy, and want to stay well, and those who have never been in treatment but want to simply improve their mental health.

What does mental wellness mean? The American Mental Health Wellness Association defines mental wellness as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to his or her community.” That sounds like something we all can strive to be.

There are six primary wellness activities, or we can even call them “tools.” In the next couple of weeks, we will review each tool with suggestions about making them work best. Of course, these do not take the place of professional help. If you feel you are struggling with life issues, feeling depressed or anxious, having difficulty coping, or having trauma in your life, please connect with the mental health services listed at the bottom of this page.

The Importance of Being Social

While this activity has been put on hold by the pandemic, it is an excellent time to talk about this as society begins to open-up again and get back to normal.

A great deal of research shows that being social can reduce a host of physical problems, such as high blood pressure, heart problems, obesity, mental health, and reducing depression and anxiety in large samples of people.

Tips on Being Social

Face to Face is essential. While Zoom has all but killed our face-to-face time, it appears critical for mental health that we meet people face to face. If you have a friend and you are both vaccinated, it’s time to reach out and get together. Sometimes just meeting for an hour or two once a week.

Set up the same time to meet weekly. Having a set time keeps you both in contact. Reach out, find a friend, and set up a routine; it turns out you will both feel better for it.

If you find yourself in need of professional services for mental health reach out to Center For Family Services' Accee line at 877.922.2377 or email access@centerffs.org.

For more information on our Access services, visit https://www.centerffs.org/get-help.

Blog tags

mental health

wellness

mental health awareness month

center for family services

Richard Lange, Ph.D., LPC, LCSW