May is Mental Health Month

Did you know May is Mental Health Month? Each year, millions of Americans struggle with mental illness. Organizations across the globe join forces each May to raise awareness, fight stigma, provide support, and educate the public. In support of these efforts, we think it is important to discuss mental health openly and engage our community in supporting those struggling with mental illness.

This past year presented so many different challenges and obstacles that tested our strength and resiliency, as individuals and communities. The global pandemic forced us to cope with situations we never even imagined, and a lot of us struggled with our mental health as a result. Many, especially those fighting cancer and other immunosuppressive diseases, faced unimaginable isolation to protect their physical health. COVID-19 has had a profound impact on our mental health. It’s critical that we normalize mental health care to heal from the long-lasting impacts of the pandemic.

Today, we'd like to share some resources and tools that everyone can use to improve their mental health and increase resiliency during difficult times.

BetterHelp: BetterHelp is an online counseling platform that matches you with a licensed therapist who you can video call, live chat, or exchange messages with.

DRK Beauty: DRK Beauty is a well-being and mental health digital platform that helps women of color discover and craft their own unique well-being journey. We blend a powerful mix of community, content, programming, and services that speaks to the psychological, spiritual, and physical needs of our community, ultimately empowering them to blossom, all through a convenient app.

Equoo: Equoo is a game that teaches individuals psychological skills in a fun and captivating way to deal with emotional and mental stressors in a healthy and productive fashion.

Happify: Happify brings you effective tools and programs (via the web and an app) to help you take control of your feelings and thoughts using proven techniques developed by leading scientists and experts who’ve been studying evidence-based interventions in the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

IDONTMIND: IDONTMIND is a mental health awareness campaign and lifestyle brand working to get people talking about their minds and to generate positive messaging about mental health. Check out their online journal for articles on all things mental health.

notOK App: The notOK App® is a free app that takes the guesswork out of asking for help when you’re feeling vulnerable.

PositivePsychology.com: PositivePsychology.com is a science-based online resource of courses, techniques, tools, and tips to help you put positive psychology into practice.

Supportiv: Supportiv is a digital peer-to-peer support network that enables people to process, cope with, heal from, and problem solve mental health (anxiety, depression) + daily life struggles (loneliness, family pressure, parenting challenges, relationship conflicts, work stress) in safe, professionally moderated micro-community chats.

Ultimately, during this month of May, Hope for the Journey wants to remind everyone that mental illnesses are real, and recovery is possible. By developing your own #Tools2Thrive, it is possible to find balance between life’s ups and downs and continue to cope with the challenges brought on by the pandemic and cancer.

Looking for breast cancer support in the West Georgia area? Contact us today to learn about our support groups.