Monday, October 10, 2016

Stigma Free: Mental Illness Awareness Week


Last week, October 2-8, was Mental Illness Awareness Week, supported by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The point is to be more aware and in support of persons with various mental illnesses and disorders. If the library is anything, it is a place to learn and grow and gain understanding.

The backbone of the week is the Stigma Free Pledge, an agreement with yourself to do three things:

  1. Learn about mental health issues
  2. See the person, not the illness
  3. Take action on mental health issues



Be one of many to take the pledge today and use the following resources, a few of many in the library's collection, to educate yourself:

People with mental illness by Stewart, Gail

Four people talk frankly about the problems living with schizophrenic disorder, atypical depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Fifty signs of mental illness : a guide to understanding mental health by Hicks, James Whitney.

"The volume presents fifty signs that may - or may not - signal mental illness. Arranged alphabetically, the signs include everything from anger to sexual preoccupations, from cravings to obsessions. Dr. James Whitney Hicks, a highly regarded psychiatrist with extensive clinical experience, begins each topic with a lively vignette to illustrate the symptom. He explains how a specific sign can be caused by several different illnesses and how it may even be a normal response to stress. Dr. Hicks outlines available clinical treatments and medications that may be helpful, and he provides practical strategies for coping with each symptom."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Caring for the mind : the comprehensive guide to mental health by Hales, Dianne R.

Over 27 million adults and 7.5 million children in the United States have a diagnosable mental disorder--more than the combines total of people with cancer, heart disease, and lung disorders.  Yet the saddest facts is not that so many people are so troubles, but that so few get help.  This volume is a compendium of mental health and mental disorders--and an indispensable guide to what can be done to help.  It offers lucid presentations of these conditions in a systematic format: what each is, how it feels, signs and symptoms, causes, when to seek help, how it is diagnosed, treatments (therapy, medications, self-help), risks and complications, its impact on relationships, and the prognosis.  Each disorder is illuminated by vivid case histories--personal voices--and includes the diagnostic criteria of the American Psychiatric Association's definitive Diagnostic And Statistical Manual Of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (1994), known as DSM-IVSpecial chapters deal with mental health problems in children and the elderly. This book is a wise, practical, and insightful guide to living as full and satisfying a life as possible for persons with problems and for those who love them.

Mental disorders by Farrell, Courtney.

This title examines the world's critical issues surrounding mental disorders. Readers will learn the historical background of mental disorders, leading up to the current and future impact on society. Discussed in detail are the treatment of mental disorders.

1 comment:

uzzal said...



increase your emotional intelligence and achieve more success, while reducing stress and anxiety awareness.
Learn anxiety awareness for the holiday season and reduce your stress and anxiety.
Take a look:anxiety awareness