MHM 2022 - Self-care
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Self-care

There are so many ways to practice self-care. Self-care can be bubble baths or yoga or getting a massage. Self-care can also be as simple as brushing your teeth or taking a glass to the sink. Life is really hard right now and it can be easy to forget to take of ourselves. What self-care did you do today? If you haven’t, what can you do in 5 minutes?

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MHM 2022 - You Are Not Alone
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - You Are Not Alone

When you are going through a mental health struggle, it can often feel like you are the only one who knows what’s going on. It seems like all your friends and family are fine, but you are the one who can’t keep it together. But that is just not true. There are so many people who know what you’re going through. You are not the only one who is struggling.

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MHM 2022 - Setting Boundaries
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Setting Boundaries

Setting boundaries is very important for maintaining healthy relationships and it’s also important for your mental health. You may feel like we always have to do what the other person wants or that your opinions aren’t valid or that you are constantly pulled away from the things you love. But by setting boundaries, you can manage both caring for yourself and caring for others. Like the flight attendants say, put on your own oxygen mask first before helping others with theirs.

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MHM 2022 - Suicide and Firearms
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Suicide and Firearms

Firearms and suicide are extremely linked. 51% of all suicides in the U.S. are by firearms and 60% of all firearm deaths are suicides. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention identifies firearms as one of their top critical areas to save the most lives in the shortest amount of time.

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MHM 2022 - #988
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - #988

We probably (hopefully!) all know the current Suicide Prevention Lifeline phone number of 1-800-2473-8255. Starting on July 16th, you will be able to call or text 988 nationwide to get connected with trained counselors who will listen, help understand your problems, provide support, and share resources that may be helpful.

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MHM 2022 - Asking for Help
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Asking for Help

If you feel like you are having a hard time managing your mental health on your own, it may be time to ask for help. You might feel like it’s a sign of weakness, that you can’t do it by yourself, but you don’t have to do it alone. Asking for help is a strong thing to do - it means that you are taking control of the problem and your life.

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MHM 2022 - Mental Health Apps
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Mental Health Apps

I mentioned a few days ago about doing a mental health check-in on a regular basis. You can do something simple like setting a reminder on your phone, but there are also a variety of apps out there that are more mental-health specific that you might want to check out.

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MHM 2022 - Psych meds
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Psych meds

Taking medication for your mental health concern doesn’t have to be scary. It doesn’t mean that you are a failure. It doesn’t mean that you “have it real bad.” Medication is just another tool in your toolbox to help your mental health.

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MHM 2022 - Therapy basics
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Therapy basics

Therapy is a great tool for your mental health and there are a lot of reasons people go to therapy. For example, processing difficult experiences, working through relationship issues, learning healthy coping skills, being able to speak to a neutral person, None of those reasons mean you are “crazy” or “broken”.

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MHM 2022 - Listening non-judgmentally
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Listening non-judgmentally

I touched on listening yesterday, but I want to go into more detail about how to listen non-judgmentally. The main goal of listening non-judgmentally is to provide a safe environment where the other person feels comfortable talking about their feelings and situation.

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MHM 2022 - PTSD and sexual assault
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - PTSD and sexual assault

When people think of PTSD, they often think of soldiers and fireworks. But sexual assault is a way more common cause of PTSD. It is estimated that around 50% of people who experience sexual assault develop PTSD, compared to only around 6-7% of military personnel/veterans.

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MHM 2022 - Depression is more than sad
mental health Melissa Eagan mental health Melissa Eagan

MHM 2022 - Depression is more than sad

People feel sad for all sorts of reasons. Your best friend is moving away, you didn’t get the raise you wanted, the person in front of you in line took the last donut, a loved one is very sick. These are all normal reasons to be sad, and sadness is a healthy and appropriate emotion to feel.

Depression, however, is more than sad.

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