Resilient: Mental Health Brochure

RESILIENCE speaks to your ability to work through and cope with life's difficulties.

Mental Health Statistics 50% of Americans will meet the criteria for a diagnosable mental health condition sometime in their life and half of those people will develop conditions by the age of 14.

Bad for business

Bad for people

56%

of employees say stress and anxiety impact their job performance

52%

of people say anxiety affects their relationships with coworkers

81%

of productivity loss is a result of presenteeism--lack of productivity due to working while sick.

62%

of absenteeism can be attributed to a mental health condition

RESILIENCE is a mental health literacy program that helps individuals better recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness and provides them with action strategies to support themselves and others in a mental health crisis.

2020 RESILIENCE Š All Rights Reserved

Mental Health Literacy Objectives 1

2

3

4

Improve your knowledge, attitudes and help-seeking behaviors

Improve recognition, management and prevention of mental health issues

Educate you how to respond and support one another when life happens

Enhance your personal self-care strategies for mental wellness

Resilience 6-Step Action Strategies

How to provide support Approach

Advocate

Talk to them in a space that is comfortable, where you won’t likely be interrupted and where there are likely minimal distractions. Ease into the conversation, gradually.

Promote the interest or cause of another person. You would help guide a person in accessing services. Examples: help make phone calls or identify a resource

Validate

Listen

Validation is the recognition and acceptance of another person's thoughts, feelings and behaviors as understandable from their perspective. Validation does not mean agreeing or approving.

The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand.

We listen to reply. Become an active listener. There are five key active listening techniques you can use to become a more-effective listener: 1) pay attention 2) show that you are listening 3) provide feedback 4) defer judgment 5) respond appropriately

Support It is important to listen well and avoid defensive language. The objective is not to fix their problems or tell them what to do. You can have some suggestions available when the time is right and if you feel like they are appropriate. Try to see things from your friend’s perspective and show true concern for their suffering. It is your compassion that validates their experiences by acknowledging that their pain is real. Doing this actually changes the resilience of the brain, which can help that person see their problems in a new light and start sorting through their issues. Sometimes your friend may not want to talk and that is okay too. They may just want you to be there and sit quietly with them or offer to help them make an appointment for therapy and/or drive them to their appointments.

Reach out for help Asking for help can feel like an imposition. You may not want to burden your peers—busy people with kids, spouses, jobs, and problems of their own. It can be tough to make yourself vulnerable. A request for help may feel like a sign of weakness—we generally avoid seeming inadequate, incompetent, or needy. We place a premium on self-reliance, and it can be difficult to overcome the pressure to struggle in silence. But if we run away when those feelings arise, we reinforce the voice in our head that says "I'm not good enough" it is easy to avoid situations that make us feel fragile. We must challenge our armor--the thoughts, emotions and behaviors-- we use to protect ourselves and practice new ways of doing things and new ways of being by opening our heart and asking for what we need. We must debunk the myth that vulnerability is a weakness and embrace the truth that vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy, and creativity.

IAM-RESILIENT.COM 2020 RESILIENCE © All Rights Reserved

Protective Factors and Coping Mechanisms Protective factors are conditions or attributes of individuals, families, and communities that mitigate risk and promote healthy development and well being.

Here are just a few examples: • Positive attitudes, values or beliefs • Problem-solving skills • Conflict resolution skills • Positive adult role models, coaches, mentors • Good mental, physical, spiritual and emotional health • Healthy prenatal and early childhood development • Positive self-esteem • Participation in traditional healing • Success at school and cultural activities • Good parenting skills • Good peer group/friends • Parental supervision • Steady employment • Strong social support • Stable housing • Community engagement

Self-Care The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health.

Coping Mechanisms and Styles Significant life events, whether positive or negative, can cause psychological stress. Difficult events, such as divorce, miscarriage, the death of a loved one, or the loss of a job, can cause most people to feel grief or distress. But even events that are considered positive by many—getting married, having a child, and buying a home—can lead to a significant amounts of stress.

To adjust to this stress, people may utilize some combination of behavior, thought, and emotion, depending on the situation. People may use coping mechanisms for stress management or to cope with anger, loneliness, anxiety, or depression. Coping mechanisms are used to manage an external situation that is creating problems for an individual. Coping styles can be problem-focused or emotion-focused.

Problem-focused coping strategies are typically associated with methods of dealing with the problem in order to reduce stress, while emotion-focused mechanisms can help people handle any feelings of distress that result from the problem.

Some coping methods, though they work for a time, are not effective for a long-term period. These ineffective coping mechanisms, which can often be counterproductive or have unintended negative consequences, are known as “maladaptive coping.”

Adaptive coping mechanisms are those generally considered to be healthy and effective ways of managing stressful situations.

Types of Coping Mechanisms Adaptive Coping

Maladaptive Coping

SUPPORT: Talking about a stressful event with a supportive

ESCAPE: To cope with anxiety or stress, some people may

person can be an effective way to manage stress. Seeking external support instead of self-isolating and internalizing the effects of stress can greatly reduce the negative effects of a difficult situation.

RELAXATION: may include practicing meditation, progressive muscle relaxation or other calming techniques, sitting in nature, or listening to soft music.

PROBLEM-SOLVING: This coping mechanism involves

identifying a problem that is causing stress and then developing and putting into action some potential solutions.

HUMOR: Making light of a stressful situation may help people

maintain perspective and prevent the situation from becoming overwhelming.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Exercise can serve as a natural and

healthy form of stress relief.

withdraw from friends and become socially isolated. They may absorb themselves in a solitary activity such as watching television, reading, or spending time online. Examples of unhealthy self-soothing could include overeating, binge drinking, or excessive use of internet or video games.

NUMBING: When a person engages in numbing behavior, they are often aware of what they are doing and may seek out an activity that will help them drown out or override their distress.

COMPULSIONS AND RISK-TAKING: Stress can cause some

people to seek an adrenaline rush through compulsive or risk-taking behaviors such as gambling, unsafe sex, experimenting with drugs, theft, or reckless driving.

SELF-HARM: People may engage in self-harming behaviors to

cope with extreme stress or trauma. Examples include cutting and burning themselves.

2020 RESILIENCE © All Rights Reserved

Early Identification and Intervention Leads to Better Health Outcomes Mental health screenings are important. Approximately 50% of lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% begin by age 24. The average delay between when symptoms first appear and intervention is approximately 11 years.

Mental health screenings allow for early identification and intervention and help bridge the gap.

Early identification and treatment leads to better outcomes. Early treatment may also lessen long-term disability and prevent years of suffering.

V

Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of a Mental Health Condition Depression

Anxiety

Substance Use Disorders

Thoughts and Feelings

Thoughts and Feelings

Physical Appearance

Warning Signs

• Persistent sadness • Feelings of hopelessness • Low self-esteem • Feeling tired • Guilt or shame • Loneliness

• Worry • Nervousness • Fearfulness • Panic attacks • A sense of impending doom • Tense muscles • Uptight • On edge • Unrealistic or excessive worry or fear • Difficult concentrating • Racing Thoughts • Fear of being alone • Frightening fantasies

• Poor grooming • Unwanted weight loss or gain • Puffiness or bloating • Wearing dark glasses at inappropriate times • Tremors

• Talking or writing about death, dying or suicide • Threatening to hurt or kill oneself • Seeking access to means • Acting recklessly or engaging in risky activities • Increasing alcohol or drug use • Withdrawing from family, friends or society • Appearing agitated • People who are in the early stages of any physical or emotional challenge are at great risk • Dramatic mood change

Behaviors • Crying or tearfulness • Loss of interest in family • Loss of motivation • Avoiding work or activities • Loss of pleasure or satisfaction in life

Physical Experience • Fatigue • Decreased pain tolerance • Backpain or aching muscles • Decreased vision • Stomach pain • Digestive problems

Physical Experience • Cardiovascular • Respiratory • Neurological • Gastrointestinal • Muscular skeletal

Emotional Behaviors • Irritability • Mood swings • Unjustified outburst of anger • Tearfulness or sadness • Expressions of hopelessness • Irrational laughter • Social isolation

Suicide

Psychological Changes • Confusion • Unexplained memory loss • Paranoia • Delusional thinking • Hallucinations

The Mind and Body are not separate units, but one integrated system. How we act and what we think, eat and feel are all related to our health. Mental and Physical health are inseparable and highly treatable.

IAM-RESILIENT.COM 2020 RESILIENCE © All Rights Reserved

Crushing Stigma through Education and Increased Sensitivity The words we choose reflect our attitudes. Through our words, we reflect what we truly value, believe in and genuinely respect. No one should be defined by their condition or psychosocial difficulties they experience.

Language of Acceptance, Hope, Respect & Uniqueness

Inappropriate Language

George has a mental health condition or disability George lives with a mental health condition George is having a rough time.

Mary has been diagnosed with Sz/depression, etc.

Lisa has experienced PTSD Bill had a non-fatal attempt at suicide Ann died by suicide They took their life

George is not normal George is mentally ill George is decompensating Mary is depressed Lisa has PTSD Bill had an unsuccessful attempt Ann committed suicide They completed suicide

Resilience and Recovery Resilience is dedicated to equipping individuals with proven wellness strategies, relevant content and tools that will empower their people to care for themselves and those they love.

Steps to Recovery:

The recovery model is a holistic, person-centered approach to mental health care.

The model has quickly gained momentum over the past decade and is becoming the standard model of mental health care.

This model is based on two simple premises:

1. It is possible to recover from a mental health condition.

2. The most effective recovery is patient-directed.

Health

Purpose:

Home

Community

In order to manage or recover from mental illness, people must make choices that support both their physical and mental well-being.

People need a safe and supportive home environment.

Having meaningful daily routines such as school, work, family, and community participation are important during the recovery process and for maintaining wellness.

Supportive social relationships provide people with the love, emotional availability, and respect that they need to survive and thrive.

Recovery is possible!

2020 RESILIENCE Š All Rights Reserved