M is for Mental Health

May is known for many things, but one of the most important is that it is Mental Health Awareness Month. Mental health awareness has been observed in May in the United States since 1949 and was started by the Mental Health America organization. Despite the fact that the topic seems very buzzy right now, mental health is an important part of our daily lives. Sadly, with war and sickness surrounding so many, having a healthy mind is becoming more difficult for everyone.

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, according to mentalhealth.gov. In order to become healthy people, we need to have healthy minds and bodies. Doctors are constantly reminding us of ways to develop a healthy body (exercise, fruits, veggies), but what are some ways to create a healthy mind?

Thankfully, there are some wonderful resources available to anyone who seeks them out, either for yourself or someone you know is struggling. Here are some resources to try:

• MentalHealth.gov – Provides information for recognizing symptoms in someone struggling with a mental health issue, resources for getting help, and also links to other places to seek out help.
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – This website has a whole section devoted to Mental Health Awareness Month. In recent years, the number of suicides continues to climb due to isolation, fear, depression, and other factors people have been forced to deal with during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only does this website have stories from people highlighting their journeys with mental health struggles, but it also links to places to find help.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) – NAMI fights stigma, provides support, educates the public, and advocates for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. They provide information on dealing with mental health issues, ways to get involved, and how share your story.

Local Mental Health Resources in Southeast Michigan

• The Women’s Center of Southeast Michigan – The Women’s Center promotes self-determination for women and families by providing professional services that build confidence, strengthen connections, and create positive change.
• Michigan Association for Suicide Prevention – Focuses on decreasing the number of suicides and attempts in Michigan, supporting those left behind, and reducing the stigma associated with mental illness and suicide.
• Michigan Mental Health Networker – Directory of Michigan mental health agencies.

Apps for Mental Wellness

In a world filled with smartphones, there are some wonderful apps for mental health available on iOS and Google platforms. Be sure to give them a try. Many include journaling, meditations, quick feeling check-ins, daily affirmations and more. These apps include:

• Stoic (iOS only)
• Daylio (iOS and Google)
• Reflectly (iOS and Google)
• I Am (iOS only)
• MindDoc (iOS and Google)
• Nuna (iOS and Google)
• Sanvello (iOS and Google)

Library Books & Resources for Mental Health

Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess by Caroline Leaf. The bestselling author and neuroscientist offers five proven steps to help you overcome the unhealthy thinking habits that contribute to anxiety, depression and intrusive thoughts, and replace them with positive thinking that leads to health, happiness and success.

A Cure for Darkness by Alex Riley. Weaving in personal and family history, an award-winning science writer, reporting on the field of global mental health from its colonial past to the present day, presents a fascinating look at the treatment of depression.

The End of Mental Illness by Daniel G. Amen. The incidence of mental health conditions is skyrocketing, for the past four decades standard treatment hasn’t much changed, and success rates in treating them have barely improved, either. Meanwhile, the stigma of the “mental illness” label―damaging and devastating on its own―can often prevent sufferers from getting the help they need.

Healing: Our Path From Mental Illness to Mental Health by Thomas R. Insel. A comprehensive plan for our failing mental health system and for families trying to discern the way forward. The fruit of a lifetime of expertise and a global quest for answers, Healing is a hopeful, actionable account and achievable vision for us all in this time of mental health crisis.

Hello I Want to Die Please Fix Me by Anna Mehler Paperny. An engrossing memoir-meets-investigative report that takes a fresh, frank look at how we treat depression. A profoundly compelling story about the human spirit and the myriad ways we treat (and fail to treat) the disease that accounts for more years swallowed up by disability than any other in the world.

Herbal Medicine for Mental Health by Lillian Somner. This book takes medicinal herbal questions head-on with simple, practical answers from a trusted and experienced psychiatrist, so patients and practitioners alike can discover how herbal medicine can be an effective part of treatment.

Hope and Help for Your Nerves by Claire Weekes. The bestselling step-by-step guide that will show you how to break the cycle of fear and cure your feelings of panic and anxiety. Learn how to understand and analyze your own symptoms of anxiety and find the power to conquer your fears for good.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb. The author draws on diverse experiences from her many years as a psychotherapist to offer a guided tour of the therapeutic process from the viewpoint of both therapist and patient as they untangle their emotional challenges. In the process, Gottlieb learns to understand her own self-image and what it genuinely means to be human.

Move the Body, Heal the Mind by Jennifer Heisz. Sharing her paradigm-shifting research, a noted neuroscientist shows how exercise can combat mental health conditions; help fight addictions; improve memory, sleep and focus; and increase creativity.

Start Here: A Parent’s Guide to Helping Children and Teens Through Mental Health Challenges by Pier Brydon. From two of the top child and adolescent psychiatrists at The Hospital for Sick Children comes an accessible guide to common mental health struggles, such as anxiety and depression, for any parent wondering how to help their child.

What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience and Healing by Bruce Duncan Perry. Oprah Winfrey, sharing stories from her own past, and a renowned brain development and trauma expert discuss the impact of trauma and adversity and how healing must begin with a shift to asking, "What happened to you?" rather than "What's wrong with you?".

Yoga for Times of Change by Nina Zolotow. This guide offers many ways you can use yoga as a healthy coping mechanism when you're confronted with the physical, emotional and mental changes that life brings us. It includes both ancient and modern techniques, including yoga poses, breathing practices, relaxation, mantras and meditation, that allow you to return yourself to balance when you're experiencing challenges, and to fortify yourself for the future.