Awareness Archives - Healthy Minds Philly®

Post-Traumatic Stress Can Impact Anyone – and It Can Be Treated

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can affect anyone at any age. Millions of Americans get PTSD every year. Many war veterans have had PTSD, but did you know women tend to get PTSD more often than men? No matter the cause, PTSD can be treated. You can feel better. What is PTSD? Post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, is a real illness. You can get PTSD after living through or seeing a dangerous event, such as war, a hurricane, a violent event, or a bad accident. PTSD makes you feel stressed and afraid after the danger is over. It affects your life and the people around you. If you have PTSD, you can get treatment and feel better. PTSD can happen to anyone at any age. Children get PTSD too. You don’t have to be physically hurt to get PTSD. You can also get it after you see other people get hurt. Living through or seeing something that’s upsetting and dangerous can cause PTSD. This can include: Being a victim of or seeing violence The death or serious illness of a loved one War or combat Car accidents and plane crashes Hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires Violent crimes, like a robbery or shooting. There are many other things that can cause PTSD. Talk to your doctor if you are troubled by [...]

Janine Monico2022-05-23T12:43:23-04:00June 20th, 2022|Awareness, Mental Health|

Kids Will Play. Put It Away!

Kids will play, put it away! Children are vulnerable to serious illness or death if they accidentally find and ingest medicine or drugs. When drugs and other substances are in the home, they present a risk to children. This is true of over the counter, legally prescribed, and illegal substances. Opioids can be especially dangerous and should stay in their original packaging. When you have substances in your home, follow these tips to keep your young ones safe: Store drugs and medicine out of reach and out of sight of kids. If possible, keep them in cabinets that can be locked or child-proofed with latches. If locks are not easily available, make sure they are placed inside cabinets and drawers and not out in the open. Be sure to put medicines away after using them. Talk with your children. Engage your children in conversations about what medicine is and that they should only take medicine when it’s given to them by an adult. Ask others to help keep your home safe. When babysitters, extended family, and friends come over, ask that they keep medicine safely stored in their bags, or outside of the home. If an accident happens, get help IMMEDIATELY. Call Poison Control if you suspect a poisoning. You’ll get free, expert help. The number is 1-800-222-1222. Together, we can keep our kids safe! [...]

Janine Monico2022-04-12T10:42:46-04:00April 12th, 2022|Awareness, Community|

MLK Day: Personal Memories of the First Day of Service

By Iris Lozada In 1994, the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service was launched thanks largely to U.S. Sen. Harris Wofford Jr. of Pennsylvania and U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. Wofford was an attorney and civil rights activist. He was a Democratic politician who represented Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate from 1991 to 1995. He also was a special assistant to President John F. Kennedy and an adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. during the decade of struggle from Montgomery to Memphis. His “passion for getting people involved helped create John F. Kennedy’s Peace Corps, Bill Clinton’s AmeriCorps and other service organizations and made him America’s volunteer in chief,” according to his 2019 obituary in The New York Times. It isn’t surprising that, given his strong interest in volunteerism and knowing what the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. stood for, he launched the campaign to make MLK Day into a day of service, what Wofford called “a day on, not a day off.” Todd Bernstein – Chief of Staff of Wofford’s Philadelphia office when the campaign was launched – supported those efforts. Bernstein is the founder and director of the annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service. Today, Philadelphia continues to host the largest King Day of Service in the country, according to Global Citizens. I [...]

Janine Monico2022-01-03T13:22:35-05:00January 10th, 2022|Awareness, Community|

NDSD: A Yearly Event with a Daily Calling

Imagine a world where we can “call in sick” because our depression is worsening or because anxiety is peaking to a point of emotional and physical paralysis. A world where we can fearlessly acknowledge our mental health challenges and receive support rather than skepticism or judgment. In our society, we are afforded sick days to treat varying physical health conditions, but it is “invisible” pains that create hesitance. Mental health stigma promotes a falsehood that proof is needed to justify anguish. This year more than ever is important for centering our mental health needs. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), nearly eight in 10 adults identified the coronavirus pandemic as a significant source of stress in their lives. Locally, we witness the daily weight of gun violence, poverty, systemic racism, and trauma. However, we can all contribute towards promoting mental wellness in big and small ways. Each year, National Depression Screening Day provides an opportunity to break stigma and recognize mental wellness matters. Behavioral health partners offer multiple sites to receive free behavioral screenings along with valuable resources and the support of trained professionals. We can use Oct. 7 as an opportunity to take a behavioral health screening, reach out to loved ones, or normalize mental health challenges, whether someone else’s or, most importantly, our own. Although this reflection [...]

Janine Monico2021-10-14T13:18:43-04:00October 7th, 2021|Awareness, Depression|