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Is it any wonder that, starting at an early age, girls may believe that their value depends on their so-called sex appeal? What can be done to help girls develop a healthy self-image? Eating disorders, low self-esteem, and depression are the most common mental health problems in girls and women. The Report of the APA Task Force on The Sexualization of Girls, issued in 2007, points out the connection between these problems and the sexualization of girls. The Task Force Report states that sexualization has negative effects in a variety of domains:
For more information, see the American Psychological Association Report athttp://www.apa.org/pi/wpo/sexualization.html
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Stigma is when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that's thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype). Unfortunately, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common.
Stigma can lead to discrimination. Discrimination may be obvious and direct, such as someone making a negative remark about your mental illness or your treatment. Or it may be unintentional or subtle, such as someone avoiding you because the person assumes you could be unstable, violent or dangerous due to your mental health condition. You may even judge yourself. Some of the harmful effects of stigma can include:
Robin Williams, the actor’s battle with depression puts a spotlight on his famous friends, including Christopher Reeve and Jonathan Winters, and other celebrities who had experiences with extreme depression. Robin Williams’ tragic death has cast a much-needed spotlight on issues of depression, suicide and mental health. Robin Williams to the young lady who sits on HRT to head to community college are no different than you and I. Families share the same thing, families hurt, and cry! MENTAL HEALTH IS REAL!
Clearly, depression is no laughing matter — it will afflict one in six people, yet the public has a hard time recognizing “the blues” as a legitimate illness. “We have to be ever mindful that depression is a real disease, it is common, it is serious, but it is treatable, and we have to keep talking about it,” said Dr. Harry Croft, author of “Treating Your Depression: Finding Light at the End of the Tunnel.”  Lets talk it out! Click on the link to see how you can get help!
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release May 05, 2014 FACT SHEET: Marking the Administration's Progress on Mental HealthOn Monday, May 5, Vice President Biden is delivering remarks to the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting in order to highlight the actions the Administration has taken to break down the barriers preventing people from getting help for mental illnesses. Nearly one in five American adults experience a mental illness in any given year. Less than half received mental health services. And only about half of children with mental problems receive treatment. The top three reasons given for not receiving help are cost, belief they could handle the problem without treatment, and that they did not know where to go for services. We must do everything we can to increase access to mental health services and expand our understanding of the human brain so that we may develop more effective treatments. Most recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the applications for the new and expanded mental health initiatives first proposed in the President and Vice President’s comprehensive gun violence reduction package. $115 million was secured in the Fiscal Year 2014 omnibus appropriations bill for these initiatives, which will train more mental health professionals to serve in our communities, help educators recognize the early signs of mental health problems and refer young people to appropriate help when needed, and support innovative state-based approaches to making sure young people ages 16 to 25 who are at high risk for mental illness don’t fall through the cracks of our mental health system. All of the applications for these grants are now available at grants.gov. ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES Reducing the Barrier of Cost by Expanding Insurance Coverage for Mental Health Services: In February 2013, HHS released a final Affordable Care Act rule requiring coverage of mental health and substance use disorder services as one of ten essential health benefits categories in the individual and small group markets. It also extends parity requirements to these markets, meaning insurance companies must cover mental health and substance use disorder services in a comparable way to medical and surgical benefits. Together, these provisions expand mental health and substance use disorder benefits and federal parity protections for an estimated 60 million Americans. Additionally, in November 2013, the Departments of HHS, Labor and the Treasury issued a final rule implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. The regulation includes important consumer protections, including making clear the information that insurance companies must provide to help ensure transparency and compliance with the law. HHS also released a letter to state health officials making clear how Medicaid plans must comply with requirements that mental health care is covered the same as other medical services. Helping More People Have A Place to Go for Mental Health Services and Know Where to Go: In addition to the $115 million in new HHS funding for Fiscal Year 2014, in December 2013 the Vice President announced $100 million in funding to increase access to mental health services, including $50 million to help in approximately 200 Community Health Centers establish or expand behavioral health services for people living with mental illness and substance use disorders and $50 million to finance the construction, expansion, or improvement of mental health facilities in rural areas over the next three years. Community Health Centers can use these new funds, made available through the Affordable Care Act, to hire new behavioral health professionals, add mental health and substance use disorder services, and employ team-based care models. The rural funding, made available through the USDA’s Community Facilities direct loan program, can be used to improve or construct mental health service facilities or put in place innovative tools such as telemedicine to expand access to mental health services at rural schools, community centers, hospitals, and other community-based settings. Earlier in 2013, the Administration also launched mentalhealth.gov, a new website featuring easy-to-understand information about basic signs of mental health problems, how to talk about mental health, and how to find help. Reducing Negative Attitudes and Perceptions About Mental Illness So People Are Willing to Seek Help: In June 2013, the President and Vice President hosted the White House National Conference on Mental Health, where health professionals, young people, and community leaders discussed how we can all work together to encourage people experiencing mental health problems to reach out for help, and encourage friends and family members to support their loved ones and connect them with help. The White House applauded the dozens of voluntary commitments – made by organizations representing media, educators, health care providers, faith communities, and foundations – to increase understanding and awareness of mental health. Investing in Research to Find New, More Effective Treatments: In April 2013, the President announced the BRAIN (Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies) Initiative, which aims to revolutionize our understanding of the human brain and help researchers find new ways to treat, cure, and even prevent brain disorders, including behavioral health disorders. Launched with approximately $100 million in the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, the BRAIN Initiative aims to accelerate the development and application of new technologies that will enable researchers to produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact. In addition, HHS dedicated up to $24.8 million in Fiscal Year 2014 funding to states for the development of evidence-based programs to provide treatment for people with early serious mental illness, including psychosis. The programs are supported through a new 5 percent- set aside in Mental Health Block Grants. HHS also launched the Early Psychosis Prediction and Prevention initiative to accelerate research on detecting risk states for psychotic disorders, preventing the onset of psychosis in high risk individuals, and reducing the duration of untreated psychosis in people who have experienced a first episode of psychosis. Approximately $25 million has been announced for this initiative for Fiscal Year 2014.  “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” — Maya Angelou
I started D.E.W in 2005 based off of being a research based organization, who has worked with young women with substance abuse and mental health illness. The passion for breaking silence of the "stigma " given toward the young women was heartbreaking. In the beginning of my freshmen year, I started getting involved with our counseling and testing department, working with suicide awareness, creating projects such as S.T.E.P Up Suicide Training Education and Prevention for University. Participants (STEP UP) and grant writing with a great team for for $15,000 for Active Minds. Sustainability .... Working along with Dr. Anthony Brown, former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs and Dr. Roosevelt Askew, former Counselor at the university of ECSU, I had the privilege to attend SAMSHA conferences , CDC events and Lonnie E. Mitchell conference, where I spoke on Sustainability for mini grants, Stigma and Mental Health awareness. Given this opportunity I was former student government president of my university and very passionate about sustainability, my former colleague and I formed a sustainability project with my vice president of finances and vice president of internal affairs, where she has lead the university and community into a go-green environment. What is Mental Health???? You don’t have to be an expert to talk about mental health . Sometimes, just doing the little things, like asking someone how they are, is all it takes to let someone know you're still thinking about them and make a big difference to how they're feeling After graduating from ECSU with a B.A. in political science and public administration, I anted to explore more into mental health and prevention programs, that is where I enrolled in the Public Health program. My practicum and thesis was on "The stigma in the African American community of Baltimore , MD for receiving therapeutic help." I was working in Annapolis, MD for the Office of Public Affairs , and notice that in the mental health court it was always the same "STIGMA" it was the same young adolescent that was fearful of their capabilities and couldn't understand the proper way to channel it. I told my former supervisor Angelita Plemmer, Director of OSPA, "We all have a little mental health illness inside of using, it is like a ticking bomb, but with the right help and prevention programs to have us aware of signs and ways to channel it, we all would feel safe again to go to the movies, or send our children to school." It that is where the "Big Green Balloon Project" comes into play. There are lots of simple, everyday ways you can support someone who has a mental health problem. The Big Green Balloon Project! Make a PLEDGE Our goal is to educate, encourage and inspire others about mental health issues and treatments in an effort to end stigma and foster hope. Our Vision - To educate people that depression and most mental illnesses are treatable. - To encourage people to live a healthier life through education and treatment. - To inspire others to talk about mental health issues and create support. We hope to inspire you to inspire others as well. Make a PLEDGE Today, when we think of great leaders, we typically think of people with charisma, booming voices and big, bold personalities.
Since the turn of the 20th century, it’s these qualities that have garnered praise, while qualities like being quiet and introspective have been seen as subpar, writes author Susan Cain in her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Our culture has dictated that great leaders and employees must be extroverts who are able to not only sell their companies, but also sell themselves. Even colleges started actively choosing extroverted candidates. Here’s a glimpse into how introverted leaders do each one (and you can, too): 1. Introverts prepare. When addressing their team, giving presentations or networking with colleagues, introverts don’t wing it, Kahnweiler said. “They spend time thinking through their goals and preparing for questions, which gives them an edge.” For instance, in The Introverted Leader she gave an example of an IT leader who went to an important networking event. He requested to see the seating chart beforehand and studied the people he wanted to target at the big event. “Preparation was the key to reducing his anxiety, and it helped him secure a large account.” 2. Introverts are present. “When introverts are with you, they’re with you,” Kahnweiler said. Because they prepare extensively, they’re able to go with the flow and stay in the present moment. They don’t multitask, instead giving individuals their full attention. They also focus and pick up on cues from others as they’re giving a talk, she said. 3. Introverts push themselves. Introverted leaders challenge themselves, Kahnweiler said. “They’re conscious about stretching and growing.” They also help their introverted employees push themselves. For instance, Kahnweiler’s client is an introverted leader who’s also managing an introverted employee. He’s started sending him to meetings in his place. This way he can get accustomed to this part of the job and sharpen his social skills. 4. Introverts practice. Kahnweiler uses the analogy of injuring your hand and having to use your other hand. “You never write like you do with your dominant hand, but you learn to adjust.” For instance, if public speaking is a challenge for you, practice is what’ll help you move into mastery, according to Kahnweiler. In The Introverted Leader, she shares several ideas for getting more practice: Read More... |
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