Mental Health Minute
January Edition
ACTION/AWARENESS
National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (Jan. 22–27)
Birth Defects Prevention Month
Local Mental Health First Aid Class
Please find an attached flyer for an upcoming FREE mental health first aid training being hosted by CTC and Larimer County in January at the Community Center. This is an evidence-based 8 hour training, more details on the flyer. RSVP is required as there is a limit to the class. The RSVP is also on the flyer. Please send this out to anyone you feel would be interested and able to attend and hang up in common areas. If you would like to host something for your staff/agency/organization specifically, please let me know. I'm more than happy to accommodate your needs. Here is a video for more information on MFHA.
This course is being hosted on two Wednesdays evenings and you must attend BOTH classes in order to complete the training. January 16th and 23rd 4:30pm - 8:30pm and dinner will be served both evenings.
PREVENTION
Anxiety, anxiety, anxiety… If I were to list the top 5 mental health concerns I see in our students, the top three would be anxiety (followed by depression and then self-harm). Here are some resources on what do do with anxiety and panic attacks. A note on panic attacks, they are very intense episodes typically lasting about 7 minutes. Many students report “having a panic attack” yet these may be better categorized as intense anxiety symptoms. Each individual has a right to own their stories and symptoms as they chose. However, the incidents of panic attacks are much rarer than anxiety. I’d like to emphasize that some anxiety is a normal part of human emotion and developmental experience. In fact, certain amounts of anxiety help us obtain our peak level of performance! It is about being able to find the line of when anxiety is a problem for ourselves and others… Happy reading!
“How to Help Someone Who is Having a Panic Attack”
From Mental Health First Aid USA
“Teen Depression and Anxiety: Why The Kids Are Not Alright”
From Time Magazine by Susanna Schrobsdorff
From the Anxiety and Depression Association of America
“Infographic: How to Deal With Stress and Anxiety”
From Mental Health America
SELF-CARE
SELF CARE:
From PsychCentral
How does anyone keep their New Year's resolutions??
How can I be more successful in my New Year's resolutions?
Wondering how to keep the ones you've already made?
What's up with that Auld Lang Syne song?
How can I make real changes in my life this year?
From Action for Happiness
This Happiness Calendar has daily suggested actions to do throughout January 2019 to help you be happier yourself and bring more happiness to others too.
Hannah Heckerson, M.Ed, NCC, LPCC - Mental Health Clinician
Email: hannah_heckerson@estesschools.org
Website: https://www.estesschools.org/Page/870
Phone: 970-586-5321