There is a stigma attached to Mental Health, and there really shouldn’t be. Mental health and mental illnesses have been around for a very, very long time, and a vast majority of us have a mental illness or two, or even three. My very strong opinion is that everyone on this planet has it in one form or another; the problem is most people either refuse to accept it, and educate themselves, or sweep it under the rug and deal with it in their own way. In fact, not too many years ago, many people with various mental illnesses would find themselves being tossed into an asylum for the mentally insane and left there hidden away from society.
So it’s not surprising that people refuse to accept it themselves, or judge others for what they were born with, or what society molded them into. The fear of discovery is real. Luckily, however, with the advent of technology and the means to communicate freely across social media sites, the understanding and acceptance of mental health has increased rapidly. But there still remains a lot of work because trying to understand what makes our brains work is an inexact science at best.
Putting names to our various mental ailments is a double edged sword. While it helps to know what we are dealing with, it also puts a label on it and that’s never good. The key to understanding how to fix or cure a disease of the mind is that there is no cure. I am no doctor and I’m sure there are ways to treat the more serious mental health issues, but in regards to the more common ailments such as anxiety and depression, the best cure is understanding it. Accepting it. Living with it. And the will to wanting to get better.
By using my blog, I hope to at least help my readers understand what I mean by understanding. Accepting. Living with it. And I’ve also gathered together some resources for you all to look over. I sincerely hope you find what you are looking for, and get the help and support you need.
General
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) https://www.nami.org/Home
- Mental Health Resources http://www.mhresources.org/
- American Psychiatry Association https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families
Government
- MedlinePlus – Mental Health : https://medlineplus.gov/mentalhealth.html A good site to find information on various treatments, drugs, research, etc.
- World Health Organization (WHO) – Project Atlas https://www.who.int/mental_health/evidence/atlasmnh/en/
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services – Mental Health https://www.mentalhealth.gov/
Populations (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – LGBTQ https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/LGBTIQ
- Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) – LGBT Youth https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm This section of the CDC website focuses on LGBT youth health issues.
- LGBT National Help Center http://www.glbtnationalhelpcenter.org/
- The Trevor Project https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
Military/Veterans
- U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) – Mental Health https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – Veterans and Active Duty https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Veterans-Active-Duty
- MindWise – Military and Family Screenings https://screening.mentalhealthscreening.org/Military_NDSD A site for free, anonymous mental health or alcohol related self assessments.
Minority
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Minority Health https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/
Seniors
- National Institute on Aging – Health Information https://www.nia.nih.gov/health
- National Council on Aging – Behavioral Health https://www.ncoa.org/center-for-healthy-aging/behavioral-health/
Women
- Office on Women’s Health – Mental Health Resources https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/mental-health-resources
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) – Women and Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/women-and-mental-health/index.shtml
Youth, Teens, School and College Students
- U.S Department of Health & Human Services – Mental Health in Adolescents https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-development/mental-health/index.html
- The Jed Foundation https://www.jedfoundation.org/
- UCLA – Center for Mental Health in Schools and Student Learning Support https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-work-resources/mental-health-resources-list/
Disorders
- Anxiety and Depression Association of American (ADAA) – Online Resources https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/ask-and-learn/resources
- Autism Speaks https://www.autismspeaks.org/
- The Arc – Autism Now https://autismnow.org/
- Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance https://www.dbsalliance.org/
- National Eating Disorders Association https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
- Brain & Behavior Research Foundation https://www.bbrfoundation.org/ For those with Schizophrenia, this is a good site.
Diagnostic
- American Psychiatric Association – DSM-5 https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm
- Mayo Clinic – Mental Illness https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mental-illness/symptoms-causes/syc-20374968
Getting Help
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) – Behavioral Health Treatment Locator https://findtreatment.gov/
- Psychology Today – Find a Therapist https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists?utm_source=PT_Psych_Today
- American Psychological Association – Psychology Help Center https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/index
Support
- Mental Health America https://www.mhanational.org/
- National Council for Behavioral Health https://www.thenationalcouncil.org/
Hotlines
- Safe Horizon https://www.safehorizon.org/hotlines This site focuses on sexual assault prevention and awareness.
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
- National Domestic Violence Hotline https://www.thehotline.org/
- Veterans Crisis Line https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
Many thanks to the website, Social Work License Map, for use of their resources. They have much more information then I can put here, so you can find them here at :
