Making the Most out of the Holiday Season

From APA's Help Center:

APA offers the following tips:

1. Take time for yourself – There may be pressure to be everything to everyone. Remember that you’re only one person and can only accomplish certain things. Sometimes self-care is the best thing you can do—others will benefit when you’re stress- free. Go for a long walk, get a massage or take time out to listen to your favorite music or read a new book. All of us need some time to recharge our batteries—by slowing down you will actually have more energy to accomplish your goals.

2. Volunteer – Many charitable organizations are also suffering due to the economic downturn. Find a local charity, such as a soup kitchen or a shelter where you and your family can volunteer. Also, participating in a giving tree or an adopt-a-family program, and helping those who are living in true poverty may help you put your own economic struggles in perspective.

3. Have realistic expectations – No Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza, or other holiday celebration is perfect; view inevitable missteps as opportunities to demonstrate flexibility and resilience. A lopsided tree or a burned brisket won’t ruin your holiday; rather, it will create a family memory. If your children’s wish list is outside your budget, talk to them about the family’s finances this year and remind them that the holidays aren’t about expensive gifts.

4. Remember what’s important – The barrage of holiday advertising can make you forget what the holiday season is really about. When your holiday expense list is running longer than your monthly budget, scale back and remind yourself that what makes a great celebration is family, not store-bought presents, elaborate decorations or gourmet food.

5. Seek support – Talk about your anxiety with your friends and family. Getting things out in the open can help you navigate your feelings and work toward a solution for your stress. If you continue to feel overwhelmed, consider seeing a professional such as a psychologist to help you manage your holiday stress.

October 10th: World Mental Health Day

How This Works

On October 10, PsychCentral will post all the blog posts related to increasing awareness or people’s understanding of treatment for mental health issues and concerns.

The blog post can be about anything related to mental or emotional health, or its treatment. You can tell your story about how you first learned about your condition, and what kinds of challenges you faced to get treatment for it.

Use the hashtag #mhblogday on your tweets and Tweet @psychcentral to let us know about your blog entry, or email: blogparty at psychcentral.com. 

August is National Immunization Awareness Month

August is National Immunization Awareness Month. This observance provides the opportunity to remind the community of the importance of immunization. Make sure that your family and friends are up-to-date on their immunizations.


In August, parents are enrolling children in school, older students are entering college and adults and the health care community are preparing for the upcoming flu season. This makes August a particularly good time to focus community attention on the value of immunization. 


Vaccines are responsible for the control of many infectious diseases that were once common in this country. Vaccines have reduced and, in some cases, eliminated many diseases that once routinely killed or harmed tens of thousands of infants, children and adults.The viruses and bacteria that cause vaccine-preventable diseases and death still exist and can infect people who are not protected by vaccines.


Source: National Partnership for Immunization (www.partnersforimmunization.org)


A 2006 Study by Chapman & Coups found that worry and regret were stronger predictors for receiving vaccinations than perceived risk in preventative health decisions. Psychologists can help work through emotions that may be preventing you from making the best health decisions!

For more information about immunizations, please visit the CDC's Immunization Information Page

July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Did You Know? July is Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental illness affects one in four American families and people in diverse communities are no exception. The U.S. Surgeon General reports that minorities:

• Are less likely to receive diagnosis and treatment for their mental illness
• Have less access to and availability of mental health services
• Often receive a poorer quality of mental health care
• Are underrepresented in mental health research

Mental Health Month Blog Party May 18

Did You Know? Facts about mental health

• One in four Americans experiences a mental health disorder every year, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health.
• Chronic stress can affect both our physical and psychological well-being by causing a variety of problems including anxiety, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.
• A 2009 poll by the American Psychological Association found that 75 percent of adults report experiencing moderate to high levels of stress (24 percent extreme, 51 percent moderate) and nearly half report that their stress has increased in the past year (42 percent).
• A 2008 survey by Harris Interactive and the American Psychological Association found that 25 percent of Americans report they do not have adequate access to mental health services and 44 percent either do not have mental health coverage or are not sure if they do.
• Research recently published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior (Vol. 41, No. 2) finds that 68 percent of Americans do not want someone with a mental illness marrying into their family and 58 percent do not want people with mental illness in their workplaces.

For more information about mental health, mind/body health and family well-being, please visit:
www.apa.org/helpcenter
www.youtube.com/apahelpcenter
http://www.ymca.net/healthy-family-home/
http://www.whatadifference.samhsa.gov/index.html
http://www.realwarriors.net/
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may

Mental Health Day at the Columbus VA

NEDA Walk: Columbus, OH

"Walk About It" on The Ohio State University's campus, and support volunteers in raising awareness about eating disorders in a fun, interactive way! Register today and do your part to help NEDA gain a stronger foothold in the fight against eating disorders!

Columbus NEDA Walk
May 14, 2011
The Ohio State University
Fred Beekman Park
Registration at 10:00am; Walk at 11

If you cannot make the walk, please consider making a donation! Even $10 in support of NEDA's 10th Anniversary helps us get one step closer to "a world free from eating disorders!"

American Psychological Association Marks Mental Health Month

AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION MARKS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH WITH BRIEFINGS, BLOGS, CHATS
  

WASHINGTON -- The American Psychological Association will spotlight a range of issues including traumatized children and health disparities among diverse older Americans in recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month in May. Activities include:
May 3: Congressional Briefing Marking National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 430, 9-10a.m. 

Sponsored by the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Mental Health America, the National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, this briefing will focus on school mental health and trauma and early intervention services for children and adolescents.

Speakers:

• Kathryn Power, Director, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, will share new data on outcomes of programs the center has supported through school and community-based grants.
• Abigail Gewirtz, PhD, APA member and director of the Ambit Network at the University of Minnesota, will speak about the success of her National Child Traumatic Stress Network in raising the standard of care and improving access to services for traumatized children and their families.
• Andrew, a youth advocate from North Carolina Families United, will share his experience of growing up with mental health challenges and how the services and support he received helped build his resiliency.

May 18: Blogging for Mental Health

APA continues its annual blog party for mental health. Psychologists writing for APA's public education blog, Your Mind, Your Body, invite people to share their stories related to mental health and emotional wellness. Writers are encouraged to blog about mental health-related topics and use the specially created graphic. More information is available on the blog party page. APA will also host a series of Facebook chats throughout May with psychologists and other experts in mental health on topics such as workplace stress and anxiety. 
May 24: Congressional Briefing Addressing Health Disparities Among Diverse Older Americans, G11 Dirksen Senate Office Building, 12-1:30 p.m.


Co-sponsored by APA and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, this briefing will focus on health disparities among America's increasingly diverse aging population.  Specifically, experts will discuss health disparities among ethnic minority and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender elders and innovative ways to reduce such disparities in health care settings and communities.

Speakers:

• Patricia Arean, PhD, University of California, San Francisco, and an APA member, will speak about integrating mental health in primary care to reduce health disparities in older adults.
• Laurie Young, PhD, director of Public Policy & Government Affairs at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, will speak about health disparities in LGBT elders.
• James Jackson, PhD, University of Michigan and an APA member, will speak about aging, the life course and health disparities.

The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 154,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

Infertility Awareness Week

April 24-30 is National Infertility Awareness Week. Around 1 in 8 women and men are diagnosed with infertility. Bust the infertility myths!


Myth #1: “This is ‘her’ problem—I don’t need to be an active participant.”

Busted!: Having a baby, whether it is the result of GOFI (good old fashioned intercourse) or with the help of a reproductive doctor can be one of the most intimate, connecting experiences a couple has.

The Hollywood image of a magical night of lovemaking yielding a positive pee stick result is simply replaced by an extra squeeze of your wife’s hand during an ultrasound, a quick breakfast date and kiss before the morning blood draw, and an extra long hug after an embryo transfer.

For more information, please visit the RESOLVE National Infertility Awareness Week website.

April is Autism Awareness Month

The Autism Society has been celebrating National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s. The United States recognizes April as a special opportunity for everyone to educate the public about autism and issues within the autism community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued their ADDM autism prevalence report that concluded that the prevalence of autism was 1 in every 110 births in the United States and almost 1 in 70 boys. Psychologists work with children who have autism and their parents, and the American Psychological Association has some good information on Autism. For more information, please visit the Autism Society's Awareness Month page as well as the CDC's Information Page about Autism Awareness Month.

APA Science Showcase

Please spread the news about the APA Science Showcase, a research demonstration program that will take place at the APA Convention in Washington DC, August 4 - 7. We hope the Science Showcase will feature some of the most intriguing and engaging science from our discipline. Please consider submitting a demonstration for this program.

The Showcase will take place in the Convention Center in an informal learning situation - this will not be set up like a regular session - with up to six different demonstrations on the program over the course of two days. Please identify engaging, stimulating demonstrations that you think will attract and keep an audience. These demonstrations should be only about 15 minutes long, with some additional time for discussion.

The benefits are substantial - not only will you help inform those in attendance about research in our field, you might be singled out as the best of the demonstrations, resulting in a prize of $3,000. In addition, all selected programs will receive support for expenses associated with mounting the demonstrations.

Please visit http://www.apa.org/science/programs/science-showcase.aspx for the full program description and application form. The deadline date for submissions is April 15, so please don't delay discussing this with your colleagues. Contact the Science Directorate (science@apa.org; 202-336-6000) if you have questions.

Students Hosting Fashion Show This Saturday

Columbus Academy's eighth annual Fashion Show and Silent Auction, a student-run event that raises funds for the National Eating Disorders Association, will be held this Saturday, March 5, from 7-10 p.m. at the Franklin Park Conservatory. You can reserve seats by purchasing tickets for
$25 by March 4. Tickets at the door do not guarantee seats. VIP packages for$75 per ticket include front row seats and an event t-shirt.