Awareness Archives - Page 3 of 9 - Healthy Minds Philly®

Veterans are a Vital ‘Special Population’ Within Philadelphia

Nearly 70,000 veterans reside in Philadelphia as of the 2020 Census Veterans are greeted so often with “Thank you for your service” that it has become cliché. But those thanks — without the knowledge or passion of knowing what you are being thankful for — is meaningless for those hearing these words. Veterans are a multifaceted population with a distinct culture that includes values, customs, ethos, selfless duty, codes of conduct, implicit patterns of communication, and obedience to command. They also experience mental health disorders, substance use disorders, post-traumatic stress, [...]

Janine Monico2022-10-17T11:09:21-04:00November 4th, 2022|Awareness, Veterans|

Healing After Suicide Loss

My son was 16 when he took his own life. His name is Michael Alfred. After my loss, I did not believe there could be healing. I ate and ate and ate. I gained 65 lbs. I saw no future. But slowly – very slowly, after counseling, therapy, and research with support groups – I came to realize this was my new life and I had to either embrace this or not. In the beginning, I sat on the couch and ate. I did not believe that there were other [...]

Janine Monico2022-10-17T11:18:52-04:00November 1st, 2022|Awareness, Suicide Prevention|

Hispanic Heritage Month: Our Culture is Our Strength

This post is also available in English below. Nuestra cultura es nuestra fuerza El mes de la Herencia Hispana en los Estados Unidos se celebra desde el 15 de septiembre hasta el 15 de octubre. Aunque nosotros los latinos no limitamos nuestras celebraciones a días especiales, aprovechamos cada oportunidad que tenemos para celebrar. Siento orgullo poder celebrar nuestra cultura, nuestros éxitos y nuestra historia con toda la comunidad latina y con la comunidad de Filadelfia en general. Tenemos mucho para celebrar. En el poema, “La [...]

Janine Monico2022-09-29T14:38:10-04:00September 30th, 2022|Awareness, Community, Racial Equity|

Steps You Can Take to Prevent Overdose Deaths

I’ll never forget the day I received the call from my parents informing me that one of my sister’s friends passed away from an overdose. I was heartbroken; my sister was devastated. It was 2002, and the first time overdose touched my life personally. What I didn’t know then was that I was going to continue to hear similar stories for the next 20 years, only more often and each one just as tragic. Back then, everyone knew that heroin was “bad” but there was very little information about the danger of [...]

Janine Monico2022-08-06T17:20:27-04:00August 1st, 2022|Addiction & Recovery, Awareness|