As we consider our mental health, we must make ourselves our top priority.  Be kind to ourselves and not let others hijack our happiness.  The one thing we can do is say no to toxic people, toxic relationships and an environment of toxic thoughts. Kick out those people that are living rent free in your head.  Take control of your thoughts and actions.

ttps://www.facebook.com/MinervaPrez

Checkout my Facebook page. Be kind to yourself.  Make yourself a topic priority.  Remember, no one can break you without your permission. 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7e4Yldeq9ldRbfCwszZrgk?si=5bcf1ec286724f4

Listen to my Podcast on self-imposed limitation.

It is okay to seek help when life is overwhelming.  Remember, you are not alone.  Seek help from a professional in the mental health field. If you are younger, talk with your parents, teachers or clegy.  This is not a conversation for your friends if you are in grade school or high school.

7 WAYS TO PREVENT SUICIDAL THOUGHTS

September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month.  I wanted to share this great article by Dr. Joti Samra’s.  The message I would like to stress is that there is help for dealing with suicidal thoughts.  "You are not alone"  If you are having a crisis, reach out to a professional for direction.  Here are some proactive things you can do cope. 

1. Get treatment for mental health problems: It is important to get treatment for depression, anxiety, and alcohol and drug problems. Just seeing your family doctor may not be enough. It can help to see a mental health specialist, such as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. You can get referrals from your doctor or learn how to find a specialist from one of the referral lines listed on the last page. If you are already receiving treatment, speak up if your treatment plan is not working.

2. Identify high-risk triggers or situations: Think about the situations or factors that increase your feelings of despair and thoughts of suicide. Work to avoid those situations. For example, going to a bar and drinking with friends may increase feelings of depression. If this is a trigger for you, avoid going to a bar or seeing friends who drink.

3. Self-care: Taking good care of yourself is important to feel better. It is important to do the following:

o eat a healthy diet

o get some exercise every day

o get a good night’s sleep

o decrease or stop using alcohol or drugs, as these can make feelings of depression and suicide worse

4. Follow through with prescribed medications: If you take prescription medications, it is important to make sure you take them as your doctor directed. Speak to your doctor if medications aren’t working or if side effects are causing you problems. If you have just begun taking antidepressants, it is important to know that the symptoms of depression resolve at different rates. Physical symptoms such as energy or sleep may improve first. Improvement in mood may be delayed. Speak to your doctor if you are feeling worse.

5. Structure and routine: Keep a regular routine as much as possible, even when your feelings seem out of control. Here are some tips for creating structure in your life:

o wake up at a regular time

o have a regular bedtime

o have planned activities in your day, such as going for a walk or going to the gym

o continue to go to work or school

6. Do things you enjoy: When you are feeling very low, do an activity you enjoy. You may find that very few things bring you pleasure. Think of things you used to enjoy doing at times you didn’t feel so depressed or suicidal. Do these things, even if they don’t bring you enjoyment right now. Giving yourself a break from suicidal thoughts can help, even if it’s for a short time.

7. Think of personal goals: Think of personal goals you have for yourself, or that you’ve had in the past. Some examples are: to read a particular book; travel; get a pet; move to another place; learn a new hobby; volunteer; go back to school; or start a family.

FINAL THOUGHTS

When you’re feeling suicidal it may feel as though it will be impossible to escape those feelings and when they do start to dissipate it may feel as though it will be impossible to prevent the suicidal thoughts from returning in the future. 

 Check out Dr. Joti Samra’s Coping with Suicidal Thoughts for more resources, information, support, and practical steps to help cope with suicidality. If you or someone you love is at immediate risk reach out to 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) for 24-hour support.

Along with April being National Child Abuse Prevention Month, this month also recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention.

The term sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior that occurs without explicit consent from the victim.

Some forms of sexual assault include:

Attempted rape

Fondling or unwanted sexual touching

Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts

Rape

Sexual violence happens in every community and affects people of all genders and ages.

There is a social context that surrounds sexual violence. Women being seen as objects rather than humans contributes to the occurrence of sexual violence. Social norms that condone violence, use the scare tactic of power, traditional constructs of masculinity and silence surrounding violence and abuse all play a part in the recurrence of sexual assault.

Nearly one in five women in the United States have experienced rape or attempted rape in their lifetime.

But sexual assault is not a women's issue alone, one in 71 men in the United States have experienced rape or attempted rape.

Nearly 3 out of 4 adolescents who have been sexually assaulted were victimized by someone they knew very well (i.e close family friend or relative).

Many sexual assaults go unreported due to reasons such as fearing retaliation, believing police will not be much help and believing it was not important enough to report.

Most cases that are reported do not lead to a conviction.

Information obtained from The National Sexual Violence Resource Center

https://www.ihollaback.org/bystander-resources/

RESPONDING AS A BYSTANDER

What’s worse than being targeted with harassment because of your race, sex, religion, color, gender, size, orientation, disability, age, or origin? Being targeted while surrounded by bystanders who see what is happening, but then do nothing.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

At this moment in history, we are witnessing a spike in disrespect, harassment, and hate violence. As bystanders, we need to be especially vigilant and aware of what disrespect, harassment, and hate violence look like in order to be able to stand up and intervene at a time when people need it most.

You can make a choice to actively and visibly take a stand against harassment. The Five D’s are different methods you can use to support someone who’s being harassed, emphasize that harassment is not okay, and demonstrate to people in your life that they too have the power to make our communities and workplaces safer.