World Alzheimer’s Month

September is World Alzheimer’s Month and this year’s focus is on the stigma and attitudes around Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia.

In line with this mission, here are a few common myths and misconceptions about dementia and Alzheimer’s that can contribute to stigma and lack of quality of care:

Myth 1 -Dementia is part of normal aging. Many think that memory issues and cognitive decline are simply a normal part of aging which may impair the ability for individuals to be assessed for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. According to the 2019 World Alzheimer’s Report, even 62% of health care professionals held this belief. While age does impact the risk level, it is important to recognize that significant memory loss that impairs daily functioning, impairment to judgement and decision making, and becoming confused around daily tasks are not a normal part of aging.

Myth 2 – Nothing can be done for dementia. Likely tied to this belief, many may see the signs and recognize the problem but not seek out care. Carers may even cover up or withhold information around the diagnosis due to this belief. While there is no cure, there are lifestyle choices and activities that can slow the decline and support quality of life for individuals with this diagnosis as well as support maintaining independence as much as possible. There are also medications that can be used in the early stages to also provide support and slow the decline in functioning.

Myth 3 – Alzheimer’s is hereditary. While genetics do play a role and there is an increased risk if close family members have been diagnosed, there is also significant evidence that lifestyle and other health issues also play a significant role in your risk level. Maintaining activity and exercise, weight management, avoiding smoking, and maintaining healthy heart and blood sugar may all also help decrease your risk level. While high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease may increase your risk.

Alzheimer’s disease can have significant impacts on not just those who have received the diagnosis but those around them as well. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and are struggling with caregiving or adjusting to these changes, mental health professionals can provide valuable support in the transitions.

Grief & Loss

We all encounter experiences of grief and loss at some point in our life whether it is the loss of a loved one or pet, the end of a relationship, or the sudden loss of a job. While we most often associate grief with death, the same feelings of grief can come up with any significant loss of something or someone we care about. There are many myths and expectations around grief that also do not fully fit every experience of grief because every loss is unique and everyone responds to loss and grief in different ways.

Here are a few common myths around grief to reconsider:

1. If you ignore it or just “be strong”, the grief will go away faster. In truth, one of the most important parts of grief is facing and accepting the reality of the loss. Ignoring the pain or not allowing yourself to feel all of the emotions that come with grief is more likely to cause those feelings to come up over and over again.De-stigmatize mental health.
2. There is a time limit on grief. Everyone grieves differently and a group of people who have had the same loss may experience it differently. There is no timeline for grief. For many people certain events, activities, people, or places may continue to bring up feelings of grief or memories associated with the loss. Grief is not a linear experience and there will likely be ups and downs in how you feel about the loss.
3. There is a right and wrong way to grieve or not crying/being sad means you do not care. Like above, everyone grieves differently. Some people may experience emotions outside of sadness such as anger following a loss. There is no one right way to process a loss so whatever emotions you may experience are okay emotions to have. It is also okay to not cry or feel sad or depressed following a loss. For individuals dealing with a lot of stress such as caregivers or losses involving anticipation of the loss, there may even be feelings of relief and that is okay too.

If you are facing grief or loss, it is important to acknowledge whatever painful feelings you may be having, accept that those feelings may change, and seek out support in whatever form you may need. Finding ways to make sure to take care of yourself physically and emotionally is also very important so that you can have the space to deal with the feelings related to the loss.  While the pain of a loss may never fully disappear or have some ups and downs, it should get easier over time. If it does not, you may be facing more than just a typical grief and may need to seek out additional support. If you or someone you know is dealing with grief or loss at any stage, help is available. Mental health professionals can provide a safe and supportive space to process your loss and cope with the many emotions that can come with it.

National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

Minority Mental Health Awareness Month focuses on advocacy for and outreach to minority community members who may face a variety of additional barriers to reaching mental health services ranging from social stigma, distrust of the system, lack of resources or access to local services, or lack of access to services in their native language.  Whether you are a mental health professional or not, we can all make changes that support improved mental health outcomes for all people.

De-stigmatize mental health. While we have come a long way in the way that we talk about mental health, there is still work to be done to remove the stigma of seeking help whether through therapy or medication management or simply having received a diagnosis. Be mindful about the ways that you talk about mental health. This can also apply to other issues including avoiding stigmatizing language around disability, drug and alcohol use, or socio-economic status.

Learn about your biases. We may carry around biases that we are not consciously aware of that impact the ways we think about and behave towards others including individuals who are members of a minority group. Learning your own biases and making an effort to be aware of them and avoid them as well as microaggressions or other prejudiced or discriminatory behavior can help support minority group members feel safer in their communities.

Work towards positive change in your community. If you are a community leader, healthcare worker, or professional in a position of power or authority, utilize it to push for change and advocate for groups that may have more difficulty accessing resources. Others can also learn about and support initiatives, business, and organizations that are passionate about or intentional in supporting minority communities.

If you are a member of a minority ethnic, racial, gender, or sexuality group struggling with mental health concerns, help is available. Culturally sensitive mental health professionals can meet you where you are and provide support in navigating general stressors, mental health symptoms, and systemic issues related to minority stress.

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month

In June of 1969, police in New York raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar which set off the Stonewall Riots. The first celebrations of Pride began in June of 1970 to recognize the anniversary of the riots with protests and walks. Pride Month became a nationally recognized event in 1999 and celebrations have grown and spread over the years since. Pride Month is not only a time for celebrating the many identities in the community but also for remembrance and advocacy.

Here are a few ways you can celebrate this month:

1. Volunteer with or donate to an LGBTQIA+ organization. There are many groups out there supporting and advocating for LGBTQIA+ folks. The Trevor Project, It Gets Better, and The Human Rights Campaign are just a few national organizations to consider supporting. There are also many local groups and organizations worth offering support. You can also support LGBTQIA+ run local businesses by patronizing them this month.
2. Spread awareness and grow your own knowledge. Taking time to learn from and support members of the LGBTQIA+ community can be beneficial whether you are an ally or a member of the community yourself. When we take time to learn about the diverse experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community, we become better allies and can create spaces where everyone is welcome.
3. Speak out against hate and discrimination. Whether it is by joining a march or protest during pride month, speaking out on social media platforms, or writing or calling your local representatives, take a moment to be an advocate.
4. Attend a local pride event. There are many pride events hosted in every major city as well as many smaller ones throughout June. In addition to these larger celebrations, many cities and organizations also host smaller activities during Pride.

Check out this link for a list and interactive map of Pride events in Ohio!
https://thebuckeyeflame.com/2024/05/21/2024-ohio-lgbtq-pride-guide/

Maternal Mental Health Month

May is Maternal Mental Health month. As many as 1 in 5 women face perinatal mental health challenges including depression and anxiety. Despite this frequency, many women do not seek treatment and their struggles may go unnoticed which can have many potential long-term consequences. In fact, as many as 7 in 10 women reported that they actively tried to hide their symptoms from those around them. There are many reasons that women may not seek treatment including fear of judgement and stigma around maternal mental health care. By taking time to get involved with spreading awareness, we can help support women who may need support.

While perinatal mood and anxiety disorders can appear in a variety of ways, here are a few signs that you or a loved one may be struggling:

• Lack of interest in the baby
• Significant changes in eating and sleeping habits
• Excessive worry about the health or safety of the baby
• Increased frequency or new experience of panic attacks
• Crying spells, sadness, or feelings of guilt
• Fear of being left alone with the baby
• Irritability, feeling on edge, and being easily startled
• Feeling of being detached or a sense of unreality

This list is not comprehensive and not everyone will experience any or all of these symptoms but if you or your loved one have experienced significant changes in your thoughts or mood during or after pregnancy, it may be helpful to seek support. If you or someone you know is struggling with perinatal mental health challenges, help is available. Mental health professionals can provide support to cope with these symptoms. Additionally, help is available at the Postpartum Support Hotline hotline at 1.800.944.4773 where you can get additional information and resources.

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Unfortunately, sexual assault is far too common with research showing that Over 53% of women and over 29% of men reported experiencing contact sexual violence with most reporting that they were harmed by someone they know. While many may think of sexual assault prevention as a series of actions that an individual can do to keep themselves safe or minimize risky behavior, there is much more that can contribute to preventing sexual assault.

Here are a few things that you can do in order to prevent sexual assault:

1. Encourage children to express and respect boundaries. Encouraging children to ask others before giving hugs, encouraging and protecting a child’s right to say no to touch or affection from others, and teaching children how to treat others with respect can support them growing into adults that have respect for the autonomy of others as well as feeling empowered to set their own boundaries.
2. Advocate for workplace policies and government legislation. Unfortunately, many workplaces may not have strong policies to protect employees and current laws and legislation can make it more challenging for survivors to come forward and for offenders to be punished. Advocating for better protections can improve safety for everyone.
3. Challenge negative stereotypes and harmful behaviors in your friends, family, and coworkers. When you encounter potential harmful, demeaning, or derogatory jokes or comments from others, address the individual and encourage respectful treatment of others.

The theme for this year’s awareness month is “building connected communities”. In addition to the steps above, take time this month to participate in raising awareness by sharing your support for victims, wearing teal, taking part in online or local events, or donate time or money to local or national organizations that support survivors of sexual assault.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you are not alone. There are many resources available to support you. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (https://www.nsvrc.org/find-help) has many resources available. There is also the National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE) operated by The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network that can connect you with support and resources. Additionally, mental health professionals are available to provide support to survivors of sexual assault.

National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Developmental disabilities are those that are often first noticed in early childhood during key periods of development but are often lifelong diagnoses that have a range of impacts on social, physical, and mental functioning. Developmental disabilities affect more individuals than many of us may be aware of with as much as 17% of young children experiencing some sort of delay or developmental disability. While these disabilities can have significant long-term impacts, early intervention can improve outcomes and ensure that these individuals have the supports they need to be the most successful they can be.

In recognition of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, here are a few tips for parents and caregivers:

1. Monitor your child’s development. Young children have many milestones that they will typically reach in their first few years of life. While it can be exciting and anxiety-inducing to watch these changes, it is important that you know what to look for. There are many resources available online to help support you in knowing what is typical and what may be concerning. You can also talk to your child’s doctor about typical development, and they will likely provide screenings periodically to monitor development as well.
2. Advocate for yourself and your child. If you see something that concerns you about your child’s development, let your child’s doctor know and discuss options for developmental screenings or referrals to other providers. Take some time to complete a milestone checklist or make lists of questions you may have to discuss with your doctor and don’t be afraid to ask additional questions. The CDC has some checklists and tips available at https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/concerned.html if you are unsure where to start.
3. Seek support for yourself and your child. Navigating supportive services and challenges that come with parenting a child with developmental disabilities can be stressful. It is important that you find support in whatever way that you need it.  https://familyvoices.org/ can be an excellent tool for finding other parents or families who are going through the same or similar experiences.

Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month

Approximately 1 in 3 teens will experience abuse from someone they are in a relationship with before reaching adulthood. For many of these teens, it can be difficult to speak up and seek help as they get caught up in the cycle of abuse. As a result, February marks Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. In order to support healthy relationships for teens, it is important to provide role models and information on what is healthy and unhealthy in a romantic relationship. Healthy relationships should involve mutual respect, honest communication, making mutual choices, and spending time away from one another. If you have an important teen in your life, take some time this February to check in and talk about healthy relationships. Here are some signs that you or your teen may be in an unhealthy or abusive relationship.

Pressure. In unhealthy relationships, there is often pressure to engage in activities that the individual is not interested in or comfortable with. This can rise to the level of abuse when the pressure becomes controlling or manipulative or consent or opinions are dismissed or ignored completely.

Constantly together. It is important in any relationship to take time for yourself. If there is no time spent in individual activities or pressure to spend every moment together, it may be concerning. In abusive relationships, this may look like isolating them from friends or family or constant checking in on what they are doing or where they are.

Lack of trust. An important foundation of a healthy relationship is a shared trust that each person is acting with good intention. When there have been repeated breaches of trust or someone has been dishonest, it can damage that foundation and lead to unhealthy patterns of communication. In an abusive relationship, this may lead to verbal abuse, accusations of cheating, and intrusions on privacy.

If you or someone you love is or has experienced abuse in romantic relationships, help is available. Mental health professionals can provide support around safety planning, developing healthier future relationships, and accessing resources. Help is also available at loveisrespect.org, by calling (866) 331-9474 or by texting LOVEIS to 22522.

Smart Mental Health Goals for 2024

As 2023 ends and we start the new year, many of us find ourselves setting goals around our mental health. Taking time to set goals to improve our mental wellbeing challenges us to find the challenges we are facing as well as tap into our strengths that will help support our goals. Mental health goals could be anything ranging from managing your anxiety to getting back into a self-care practice. Whatever goal you are setting, the acronym SMART can help you create goals that are much more likely to be successful.

S (Specific) – Your goal should be narrow enough that you have a clear sense of what it means and what accomplishing it might look like. A goal such as “practice more self-care” is great but consider what that might mean or ways that you can clarify what “self-care” might mean to you.

M (Measurable) – Whatever your goal is, find some way to quantify it. This can make it easier for you to tell when you have accomplished your goal as well as see the progress towards the goal. Progress and being able to measure the goal is going to help you stay motivated.

A (Achievable) – Is your goal realistic for you? It is important that you create goals that are outside your comfort zone but goals that do not feel overwhelming or unreachable with where you are now. If you never take time for yourself, setting a goal of 30 minutes of alone time everyday may not be a good starting point. Small steps are the best way to get to your goals.

R (Relevant) – Take time to consider if this goal will help you make progress towards where you would like to be. Good goals are directly tied to what we hope to achieve in the long-term.

T (Timed) – Create a deadline for yourself. Deadlines can help us stay accountable and focused. Make sure the deadline is realistic for you and, for goals that make take longer, set smaller deadlines along the way.

Making a SMART goal can help you have a clearer roadmap towards achieving them and help give you a stronger sense of commitment and motivation. If you or someone you know is struggling and could use some support setting and pursuing goals for their mental health, help is available. Mental health professionals can support you – whatever your goals are.

Positive Self-reflection

As the year comes to an end, it is very common to feel reflective and want to look back on the year. Self-reflection is important to promote growth, but it can also lead to feelings of depression and anxiety and can lead us to self-criticism and feelings of failure. Engaging in self-reflection in a positive way comes with a greater sense of control, self-awareness, and alignment with the things that are important to us.

Here are a few tips for making sure that self-reflection is a positive experience:

• Don’t focus on just the negative. It is easy to feel drawn towards reflecting on mistakes and the things that did not go well. It is important to make sure that self-reflection also includes thoughts about your strengths, accomplishments, and positive qualities. When thinking about mistakes or weaknesses, make sure to dedicate time to also reflecting on how you can or did grow through those mistakes.
• Avoid judging yourself and your actions. Self-criticism and judgmental thoughts contribute to feeling worse about ourselves. When reflecting on our mistakes, approach them with curiosity and simply try to notice all the thoughts and feelings coming up. If you find yourself being judgmental, consider what you might say to a friend who was experiencing something similar. Practicing self-compassion can help us to acknowledge our weakness or mistakes while also giving ourselves patience and forgiveness so we can grow.
• Incorporate gratitude. After reflecting on the ups and downs, it can be beneficial to end your self-reflection with some expressions of gratitude. Taking time to not only think about what happened and why but also the things that you appreciate in your life. There are many benefits for practicing regular expressions of gratitude including feeling more connected as well as more positive emotions.

Self-reflection can help us process our lived experiences and identify the ways that we want to continue to grow but it is easy to fall into a cycle of self-doubt and criticism.