Here are the topics recently explored in our mental health discussion group, Stronger Together:
May 1: Mindfulness
This week let’s talk about Mindfulness as a tool for managing mental health. We all hear about it, but what is it and how do we do it? Let’s talk about it and watch these videos: What is Mindfulness and A guided Mindfulness meditation.
May 8: The Anxious Generation
This week our discussion will be about “The Anxious Generation.” As it says at that link, “We rewired childhood and created an epidemic of mental illness. After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on many measures.” That site also shares some evidence that you might like to look at before the discussion.
May 15: Emotional Coping Mechanisms
We all have emotional coping mechanisms, many are not helpful in the long run but make it possible for us to deal with impossible situations or pain. Denial, repression, and suppression are three layers of a coping mechanism. What are they, and how do we help others who are experiencing them? Let’s talk about it. Our first video discusses what is denial, repression and suppression, and the second one discusses how to help others deal with these issues. Denial, Repression, Suppression: Intro Psychology, Personality #2 and Dealing With Denial – Dr. Brian Wind.
May 22: Supporting Those with Suicidal Ideations
This week in Stronger Together, we’ll be addressing supporting individuals with indications of suicidality. This week’s discussion is a step toward normalizing conversations within our community about issues surrounding suicide. Please join us. Here are some videos to watch: “Preventing Suicide and Coping with Loss” by the World Health Organization, and “Preventing Suicide: What Families Need to Know” by Seattle Children’s Hospital
May 29: Happiness!
What is happiness? Do we just know it when we see it? This week we will explore what happiness means to each of us. Please join us for this “happy” discussion. We’ll watch this video.
June 5: The Grieving Process
Some of us are grieving losses about jobs, a sense of stability, safety, or other more personal issues. What are the generally accepted five stages of the grieving process? Let’s look at one of the videos below explaining them, and then talk about it.
The five stages of grief simplified – 6 min.
The 5 Stages Of Grief Explained – 11 min.
June 12: Autism
What is Autism and how do we help and work with autistic friends, children, and co-workers? Let’s talk about it. We’ll watch one or both of the following short videos about what people with Autism deal with, and their unique contributions: What is Autism? and What is the Autism Spectrum?