$30 Million Program to Help Low-Income New Yorkers Get Mental Health Care

“New York is set to begin a $30 million program aimed at providing mental health services to low-income residents with little or no access to care.  The program, Connections to Care, will tap existing community organizations that reach low-income residents but are not providing mental health services. Chirlane McCray, chairwoman of the Mayor’s Fund to[…]

New HBO Doc MY DEPRESSION Wants Us to Open Up

“Depression. Anxiety. Emotions!!! We’ve been talking about all of them on Smart Girls a lot lately because frankly, we think it’s time to put an end to the stigma around mental health. Another Smart Girl who is looking to end the stigma around depression is author, musician, and all around artistic lady Elizabeth Swados. After[…]

The Semicolon Project

“So if one out of every four people struggle with mental illness, then why did I feel like I was they only person who had ever experienced this before? If 25 of every hundred people I pass on the street have a clinical need for psychiatric care, then why did I feel like I had[…]

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: Wellness Toolbox

“The road to wellness begins with you. Below are some tools to help you communicate better with your doctor, keep track of your symptoms and moods, record the progress you’re making, and reach recovery!” Access the resources here Source: dbsalliance.org

Mindfulness Based Therapy Prevents Depression Relapse

“The first large study to compare mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT)—a psychological therapy designed to change the way people think and feel about their experiences—with maintenance antidepressant medication suggests that MBCT could offer an alternative to antidepressants for preventing depression relapse. The study investigators aimed to determine whether MBCT with support to taper or discontinue antidepressant[…]

Parenting While Depressed: 10 Things to Remember

“Parenting is difficult enough when you feel fantastic, but when you’re struggling with depression, it can seem downright impossible. It need not be so, though. Experiencing depression doesn’t mean you can’t be an incredible, loving, smart, and effective parent … Don’t hesitate to reach out. Ask for help from your spouse or partner, friends, an extended[…]

What Is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? OCD Overview and Facts

“Obsessive-compulsive disorder is one of the most seriously misunderstood mental health conditions today.  OCD is often portrayed as extreme cleanliness or annoying perfectionism, but the reality is much more complex. True OCD is characterized by frightening obsessions, time-consuming compulsions, and high levels of anxiety — it is a lifelong disorder that’s causes are not fully[…]

Stop Telling Students They’re Messed Up and Start Doing Something About It

“We definitely need to continue the mental health awareness efforts that are being done by amazing organizations. We also need to go further. Most organizations and campuses have been focused on training faculty, parents and students on what to do when someone has a mental health challenge, but typically the only thing we tell someone[…]

Good Mental Health Away From Home Starts Before College

“With high-school seniors deciding where they’ll be attending college in the fall, now is the time, psychologists and psychiatrists say, for teens and their parents to focus on how to maintain good mental health away from home. This is particularly vital for the growing number of teenagers who have already struggled with mental illness in[…]

5 Real Ways To Combat The Stigma Around Mental Illness

“MacPhee encouraged every individual to “own” the fact that we are all, in one way or another, affected by mental illness. Whether we have a loved one who’s struggling, someone we’ve known who died of suicide, or even personal struggles, talking about mental health illness can demystify it, which might then empower others to seek[…]