International Self-Care Day: What’s Your ONE THING? MHA Admin Wed, 07/24/2024 - 09:25 July 24, 2024 Self-care has recently become a buzzword used to describe things from taking a bubble bath to improving your spending habits. There are messages all around us that encourage “self-care” and the infinite ways we could and should be taking care of ourselves. Self-care to the max When I was first beginning my recovery journey after experiencing bipolar symptoms, I tried to do as many self-care practices as I could fit in a day. I woke up at 5 a.m., started my yoga practice, then meditated for 30 ..read more

Considerations for Working with South Asian Therapy Clients MHA Admin Wed, 07/17/2024 - 15:13 July 18, 2024 by Rosaleen “Rose” Dhaliwal, PsyD, Chair, Division on South Asian Americans, Asian American Psychological Association When we think of mental health treatment, phrases that often come up include “boundary-setting;” “culturally informed care;” “self-care;” and “individuation.” However, these interventions can look very different when working with South Asians from a diverse array of cultural backgrounds and generational lines. Western vs. Eastern approaches to therapy Western approaches ..read more

Letting Go of Identity Labels: A Healing Practice MHA Admin Mon, 07/15/2024 - 10:05 July 15, 2024 by Dom Chatterjee, Founder of Rest for Resistance and QTPoC Mental Health What is an “identity label?” It’s a phrase that stands to represent a part of ourselves and our shared experiences with others. Such phrases are critical parts of communication, but they are also limited. The phrase isn’t the experience itself but, rather, is shorthand to express that experience. For my mental well-being, I have found it important to cultivate a sense of who I am past the boundaries of language and, in ter ..read more

The challenges of being LGBTQ in the workplace MHA Admin Thu, 06/13/2024 - 10:15 June 13, 2024 by Rae Barton [TRIGGER WARNING: This blog post contains references to sexual harassment in the workplace] Unfortunately, employment discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community is still a widespread, prevalent issue. Nearly half (46%) of LGBTQ+ employees say they have experienced unfair treatment in the workplace, according to a 2022 joint study by the Center for American Progress and NORC, a nonpartisan research group based at the University of Chicago that compared the experiences of no ..read more

Good news in the LGBTQ+ community MHA Admin Mon, 06/03/2024 - 13:04 June 03, 2024 by B. Burke, Public Education Content Manager for Mental Health America From anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to identity-based violence, the LGBTQ+ community has experienced significant trauma over the past few years. This Pride Month, it is important to acknowledge the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community has faced, while also celebrating moments of joy and positive news. Here are 10 pieces of good news for the LGBTQ+ community to start your Pride Month off with a smile: Legislation 1. In countries around the world, l ..read more

Guest blog: The Enduring Numbness of Depression Has a Name: What You Need to Know About Anhedonia MHA Admin Thu, 05/30/2024 - 16:24 May 31, 2024 by Wayne Drevets, M.D., Stronghold Leader in Neuropsychiatry, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine This post was sponsored and developed by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine People living with major depressive disorder (MDD) may describe feelings of numbness, emptiness, or a complete loss of motivation, interest, or pleasure lasting for hours, days, or even weeks at a time. Known as anhedonia, this feeling is a core symptom of depressio ..read more

Unmasking as a Late-Diagnosed Autistic Person MHA Admin Fri, 04/12/2024 - 16:15 April 15, 2024 by Kristen Abell, MHA Director of Website and Digital Projects As someone who wasn’t diagnosed with autism until her mid-40s, I often struggle with what it means for me to unmask. What if people don’t like who I am without masking? How even am I masking? These are just a few of the questions that someone who is a late-diagnosed autistic person must battle with when determining whether or not to unmask. What is masking? Masking is when an autistic person alters or camouflages their behavior to bette ..read more

Interview: Editor Lauri Hornik and Mental Health America show young people “Where to Start” their mental health journey in new book MHA Admin Fri, 04/05/2024 - 09:38 Photo of Lauri Hornik by Annabel Braithwaite April 09, 2024 by Edward Schmit, MHA VP of Digital Marketing Editor and publisher Lauri Hornik went looking for a mental health book that didn’t exist. Something that was relatable, free of the usual jargon, and could help young people with lots of questions safely navigate their mental health. Something that could show them “where to start.” When Lauri couldn’t find a book quite like ..read more

Accepting my bipolar brain MHA Admin Fri, 03/29/2024 - 12:36 March 29, 2024 by B. Burke, MHA Public Education Content Manager My life was spinning out of control, and I barely noticed. I had just returned from a 3-mile run and was now lying face down on the floor of my bedroom. I felt completely immobile, mentally and physically. I suddenly had no motivation to do anything. My brain started saying things like "nothing matters" and "what's the point of it all?" I stared into space until I finally had an ounce of motivation to get up and go to the bathroom. About an hour later, an idea came to ..read more

How young people on the front lines of mental health are making a difference (and what you can do to help!) MHA Admin Mon, 03/25/2024 - 12:59 March 25, 2024 by Makalynn Powell, Peer and Youth Policy Fellow When I think of youth in the U.S., my first thought isn’t typically of young people using their voices to advocate for mental health accessibility and systematic reform. Thanks to the members of Mental Health America’s Youth Policy Accelerator (YPA), I’ve learned that young people are not only aware of the current challenges in mental health care but have also come up with real solutions ..read more