Mental Health and Well-being requires "tools"

 

The most recent Drug Overdose & Poisoning Data from the CDC says the following;

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• 86% of age 13-24 ​feel overwhelmed

• 71% feel there is a stigma surrounding mental health issues

• Only 41% are comfortable talking about their mental health. 

 

The statistics are alarming.  Health is not merely the absence of disease but a state of well-being in which the mind, body and spirit are balanced.  When experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety our health is compromised with all three aspects taking a toll.  Our body becomes tense and weaker, our mind gets foggy, and our spirit can be disheartened under stress.

 

Coping with stress is the top reason citied for using prescription drugs without a prescription. It tends to be the fastest solution that might make symptoms decrease or disappear.  However, most drugs only temporarily help mental health, pain, or emotional problems and hold much more potential dangers.  Life is full of ups and down, so being able to take care of your mental health and well-being is a crucial skill to learn early on.

 

Arrive Alive California partners with healthcare personnel and mental health professionals to provide "real tools" to help the individuals "unpack" the stressors, identify triggers and make adjustments to create a healthier balance.  In addition, we offer peer-to-peer support programs, which is a safe, confidential space to provide an opportunity for mutual support and growth.  #LightenTheLoad campaign was created to drive open conversations among peers around mental health; if you're not sharing it you're carrying it.  

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Personal Safety begins in the mind

 

Mental skills such as awareness, avoidance and escape, plus physical boundary setting and verbal diffusion are the foundation of personal safety.  There are instinctual reactions that can happen and pass in a matter of microseconds or last several minutes, depending on the individual, their mindset, training and ability to process information.  Most of us are born and raised to be good people wanting the best for ourselves, our family and others; an admirable mindset and life goals, however somewhat unrealistic for the world we now live in.  

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Personal safety must be cultivated, developed and trained.  It requires an understanding of interpersonal conflict and knowledge of ourselves, how our bodies will react to stress and what we are capable of.  Feeling vulnerable and unprotected can cause undue stress and all of us deserve to feel confident and safe.  Understanding the basic principles of environmental awareness, personal space management and self protection techniques brings freedom to our daily lives and relationships.  Arrive Alive California provides personal safety workshops that focuses on preventing interpersonal violence in all its forms, with an emphasis on empowering individuals through a defensive mindset and effective action.