This week, which was also Children’s Mental Health Week, was fairly busy at Mental Health Notes. I talked about mental health situations in the news (some…bizarre, and some not so uncommon) as well as well as a few mental health studies such as increasing intelligence and how compliments affect the brain. I told you about NAMI and the DBSA participating in the online Women’s Health Expo, how my local NAMI’s cookout for Mental Health Month panned out, and even shared a few extreme ups and downs I experienced this week. Perhaps most noteworthy, however, is that Ken Jensen took over the This Is Why I ROCK! series slot for the next week!

My bookmarks are overflowing with mental health news-, research-, and government-related information. The Pentagon is working to reduce mental health counseling stigma (I wonder if this decision was made before or after VA mental health director Dr. Ira Katz sent around an internal email dealing with suicide data that had “Shh!” in the subject line?). Researchers in Canada believe celebrities are one reason the number of young people who visit mental health professionals has doubled in the last two years (well, that certainly adds to Tuesday’s conversation about celebrities and mental health), while researchers in Australia believe helping pregnant women cope with depression during pregnancy may lower the risk of being depressed after giving birth. And, sadly, another mental health care budget slash is in the works; this time, in California’s Santa Clara County.

And, as usual, the rest of the b5 Health & Wellness Channel has a slue of stuff going on. In addition to Mental Health Notes’s birthday giveaway, Grace at Kids Health Notes currently has five giveaways going on (some end tonight, so hurry on over!) while Gloria at Cancer Commentary is running an HPV Awareness contest. In addition to the upcoming Living with Pain blog carnival, Help My Hurt’s Marijke has interviewed the author of How-To Marijuana, A Step-by-Step Guide to Medical Marijuana and is hosting a contest to win a free copy of the book. And, for you poets out there, Angelique at Breaking the Mirror is hosting a contest for a free copy of For Keeps: Women Tell the Truth about Their Bodies, Growing Older, and Acceptance. Of course, just when you thought we b5 bloggers didn’t know how to do anything but give stuff away, Gabrielle at Fertility Notes gets serious with tips for coping with fertility problems while Elaine at Genetics & Health the connections between child abuse, genetic changes, and suicide.

That’s all the sanity I can stand this Saturday! Remember, if you have any Saturday Sanity-worthy stories, send ‘em my way for next week.

Top image courtesy of morgueFile.
Middle and bottom images courtesy of Newscom.

Post from: Blisstree

Saturday Sanity: Ain’t The A Kick In The Brain?

I have some mental health news for you ladies and…well, just ladies, as this doesn’t really pertain to the gents; unless, of course, you’re looking to find mental health information for that special lady in your life!

Revolution Health, that lovely Web site that hosted the Revolution Health Online Health Fair last year, is at it again. Only, this time, they’re hosting the online Women’s Health Expo!

Both the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) are participating in the Revolution Health Women’s Health Expo.

According to NAMI’s email, at their booth you will:

• Get information about women and depression;
• Get information about NAMI’s free education and support programs, including the NAMI Connection recovery support group;
• Get information about managing pregnancy and bipolar disorder; and more!

And, according to the DBSA’s email, at their booth you will:

• Learn about mood disorders like depression, postpartum depression and bipolar disorder – and that recovery is possible!
• Advocate for postpartum depression programs and educate yourself and others about the illness that affects 10 to 15% of new mothers.
• Register to learn from experts like Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison at our “Power of Peers” national conference in September.
• Design your own personal wellness tools at our new, online home for anyone seeking support for a life of health and well-being.
• Find support through a peer-led, recovery-based support group. Choose between online and in-person groups, or learn how to bring support to your community.

Many of us find health information online. Sure, we rely on our doctors for actual treatment, but we use the Web to research, talk with others, and even share ideas with our health care professionals. This is especially convenient for those of you who for whatever reason can’t, or don’t want to, get out of the house and travel to a traditional health fair.

Even more good news is that you can help raise money for both NAMI and the DBSA when you visit their virtual booths. Revolution Health is making a donation to each organization every time someone visits one of their booths, for total donations of up to $10,000! This means that not only can you learn more about your mental health, but you can also help two awesome organizations raise money to continue their advocacy work!

Head on over to the Revoltution Health Women’s Health Expo – I believe it’s schedule to last all month – and feel free to come back over here and share what you’ve learned!

Image: Newscom

Chato B. Stewart is currently rockin’ out in the This Is Why I ROCK! series here at Mental Health Notes. If you have a mental illness and are still living the life you love, head on over the the official announcement post and enter!

Post from: Blisstree

Visit NAMI & DBSA Booths At Revoltion Health’s Women’s Health Expo!