Family & Youth Archives - Healthy Minds Philly®

Hope

by Margaret Pelleriti, DBHIDS Suicide Prevention Task Force What does it mean to have hope? Hope means a desire for things to change for the better, and to want that better situation very much. Hope carries us beyond the current hardship so that we may have a better future. In today’s world, it seems that hope can be hard to come by and this tends to be the case for anyone who has lost someone to suicide. My name is Margaret and several years ago, I lost my son Michael, then 16, to suicide. Prior to my loss, suicide never really affected me. To me, it was always other people who faced that tragedy. Not something that would affect myself or my family. When I lost my son to suicide, he was in the 11th grade and did not present any clear warning signs or clues. When he died, I genuinely believed that I would die also. There would be no way that I would be able to survive. I knew that I had to get up each day and do the same routine as before. I was still a wife to my husband and a mother to a 13-year-old daughter. It felt like family and friends expected me to return to some sort of normal. I had faith from [...]

Janine Monico2021-05-12T15:21:26-04:00May 12th, 2021|Family & Youth, Suicide Prevention|

Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

Did you know that February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month? When we think of February we often think of Valentine’s Day on February 14th . On this special day we might take the time to celebrate love by treating our partners to romantic dinners, showering them with gifts, and posting cute photos of each other on social media. With all the hearts, flowers and hope of love, it’s easy to forget that not every couple in these pictures are in healthy relationships. For teenagers in relationships, the chance of them being abused by their partner is very high. Nearly 1 in 11 female and approximately 1 in 15 male high school students report having experienced physical dating violence in the last year.* Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month reminds us that abuse in a relationship can happen to anyone, at any age, no matter the race, religion, sexual orientation, or economic background. As a parent or caregiver, you’re in the best position to help make a difference in your teen’s life. Here are some tips on ways you can help the teens in your life develop healthy dating relationships: Define a healthy relationship- Helping your teen understand what a healthy relationship is will help them set their own standards for dating. Discuss healthy relationship habits to [...]

Janine Monico2021-02-04T09:18:16-05:00February 3rd, 2021|Domestic Violence, Family & Youth|

When Anxiety Becomes Unhelpful: How To Help Your Child

All children worry. In fact, worry in itself is not bad. In some situations, worry and anxiety are helpful! For example, if your child sees a bear while hiking in the Wissahickon, their anxiety may tell them to run away. If your child is nervous about an upcoming math test, they may choose to study instead of watching TikTok. Helpful anxiety can warn your child of potential threats and motivate them to focus on their goals. So, when does anxiety become unhelpful? Anxiety is unhelpful if it keeps your child from hiking in the Wissahickon or attending school on test days. In short, anxiety is unhelpful if it gets in the way of life, either for the child or their family. Anxiety can get in the way for kids when it leads them to avoid things that they normally enjoy. It also gets in the way when kids have trouble enjoying activities because they’re always worrying. A child’s anxiety can also get in the way for their caregivers and siblings. Perhaps you have changed your life (e.g., not going on a date with your partner) or family plans (e.g., canceling a family vacation) to make your child less worried. If you think that your child’s anxiety is unhelpful, there are things you can do at home to break the [...]

Janine Monico2021-01-05T21:31:29-05:00December 10th, 2020|Anxiety, Family & Youth|

Good Morning, Santana!

As we entered our ninth month of working at home due to Covid-19, I wanted to share my experience as a mom and professional, getting through this change to our typical day to day lives. I want to start by saying that I am grateful that I am employed and have a job that I can continue to do from home, which, unfortunately for some, was not an option. Without getting on my soap box, I will keep it short and honest about my experience these past months. This transition has been by far the most frustrating transition with my beautiful 2-year-old boy Santana, period! Like anyone who works in an office, you develop a routine. I'm going to just speak on my morning routine, which looked like the following before the pandemic; get up, get dressed, get my son dressed, drop him off at his grandmother's house, and do my cardio (which is power-walking up a hill to the train, praying I catch it.) I say power walk but probably borderline jogging! I used to do my cardio every day before arriving at the office. After catching up with others on my unit, I really miss that moment when you sit down with your coffee (personally, it's iced coffee or tea for me) where you just relax and take [...]

Janine Monico2021-01-02T19:34:32-05:00November 30th, 2020|Family & Youth, Pandemic|