As May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, the national movement to raise awareness about mental health, Grant Halliburton Foundation has launched HereForTexas.com/espanol to ensure that mental health information and a provider database are available in Spanish. Already available in English at HereForTexas.com, this free community tool offers easy access for North Texans seeking mental health, addiction and suicide prevention resources.
The holidays can be hard for a myriad of reasons––family discord, grief, isolation, or loneliness to name a few. This holiday season, there’s no shortage of things that could make it an even harder time to manage. The seasonal shift to winter is a big change, especially in Texas where we are accustomed to having the sun’s heat for most of the year. The days are shorter, nights are longer, and the sun plays it coy.
The holidays can be hard for a myriad of reasons––family discord, grief, isolation, or loneliness to name a few. This holiday season, there’s no shortage of things that could make it an even harder time to manage. The seasonal shift to winter is a big change, especially in Texas where we are accustomed to having the sun’s heat for most of the year. The days are shorter, nights are longer, and the sun plays it coy.
As the holidays approach, Texans are highly concerned about mental health issues as a result of COVID-19, but one college organization is working to do something about it. The College Health Alliance of Texas (CHAT) is launching a partnership with Grant Halliburton Foundation and the Okay to Say™ mental health public awareness campaign to bring resources to college students who may face mental health struggles over the holidays.
It’s no mystery work plays a primary role in our lives. According to the United Nations’ International Labour Organization, Americans work 137 hours more than Japanese workers, 260 more hours than British workers, and 499 more hours than French Workers. “What do you do?” has become the gold-standard of introductory questions when meeting someone new. We often conflate work with worth and perceive occupation as a primary determinant of social status. For example, when someone says they’re a doctor, our ears perk up!
Black people are facing two pandemics: COVID-19 and racism. It’s no secret that life in the U.S. is unjust for the Black community. With each passing day, we see another headline about Black people dying from COVID-19 at three times the rate of white people, and more videos where Black people are being discriminated against, targeted by police, and killed. How is this affecting the mental health of the Black community?
As Director of the Mental Health Navigation Line, I’ve seen a notable increase in anxiety-related symptoms due to stressors brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Most people I speak with describe physical changes they’re experiencing and often ask if they should call their medical doctor in case they’re sick with the flu or possibly COVID-19.
With the country rolling out social distancing measures due the coronavirus (COVID-19), North Texans are facing a new reality that may prove to be stressful for some people. Fear and anxiety about the pandemic can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in children, teens, and adults.
Director of outreach and education Cami Fields, LMSW, offers tips and resources for children, adolescents and adults coping with this challenging time during the shelter-in-place orders.
