July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

July has been dubbed National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.  With more and more people, both famous and in our own communities, succumbing to various mental health conditions it is becoming more clear that we cannot take mental health conditions lightly. 

Today's stats say that one in four people have experienced a mental health condition, and those numbers are even higher for minority groups often due to lack of access to care, beliefs passed down about mental health from generation to generation, and other factors.  

Mental health conditions like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, etc. are very serious and should be treated as such. The problem is that most of us do not know what mental health problems look like.  

Some of the symptoms include:

Excessive worrying or fear

Feeling excessively sad or low

Confused thinking or problems concentrating and learning

Extreme mood changes, including uncontrollable “highs” or feelings of euphoria

Prolonged or strong feelings of irritability or anger

Avoiding friends and social activities

Difficulties understanding or relating to other people

Changes in sleeping habits or feeling tired and low energy

Changes in eating habits such as increased hunger or lack of appetite

Changes in sex drive

Difficulty perceiving reality (delusions or hallucinations, in which a person experiences and senses things that don't exist in objective reality)

Inability to perceive changes in one’s own feelings, behavior or personality (”lack of insight” or anosognosia)

Abuse of substances like alcohol or drugs

Multiple physical ailments without obvious causes (such as headaches, stomach aches, vague and ongoing “aches and pains”)

Thinking about suicide 

For more info about mental health symptoms and where to get help: http://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Know-the-Warning-Signs#sthash.3T7pH3J1.dpuf

I am not by any means saying that if you have one or more of these symptoms that you for sure have a mental health issue but, it is a red flag to go and seek help in getting a diagnosis.  Knowing is the first step to coming up with a plan and remedying whatever your situation may be.  

I say all of this from personal experience.  I have battled depression for some years now and it has been an uphill battle at times but, there is hope! I am a living example. I have written about some of my experiences here and there but, you can read some of my story here.  In addition to seeing a therapist in the past, I also supplement with Vitamin D (shown to help with mood/depression), try to exercise regularly and eat a diet chock full of fresh foods and veggies whenever possible.  Juicing and making smoothies are my go-to's!

If you or someone you know needs help, please do not ignore it.  You were created for a purpose and we need you here.  

Check out these resources for more info about mental health conditions and for tips on where to get help:

http://www.nami.org/nmmham
http://www.samhsa.gov/find-help 

Do you or someone you know live with a mental health condition? What do you do to manage your symptoms?

The Super Vitamin

Hey loves!  Now that we are officially in the winter months (it was BRICK here in Atlanta this morning with a temperature of sixteen degrees!), I have been upping my intake of fresh veggies, fruits, and vitamins.  If you want to keep those dreaded cold and flu bugs at bay, vitamins and fresh foods are essential.

One vitamin that I make sure to supplement with each day is vitamin D.  If I take nothing else, I take this one!  Whether you get it from the sun (the best source), foods (such as salmon and mushrooms), or vitamin supplements, this is a must-have for a healthier you.

My mom has been on me about taking vitamin D but, I did not really take it seriously until my doctor called me telling me that I needed to start taking 2000 i.u, of the vitamin every day.  More recently, I have been reading about all of the benefits to taking this super vitamin.

Here are just a few:

-bone health
-Helps with weight loss
-can help keep those winter blues away (when taken regularly, I notice a difference in my bouts with depression)
-boosts the immune system
-linked to prevention of many types of cancer
- helps to regulate blood sugar (this is especially important for a pre-diabetic like myself)

Get your vitamin D in every day, folks.  Your body will thank you in more ways than one.

RIP Titi Branch

I scrolled through my Twitter and Facebook feeds yesterday on my lunch break and I could not believe what I was seeing.  Rest in Peace to the beautiful Titi Branch, 1/2 of the sister duo who founded the very popular natural hair care line, Miss Jessie's. It truly saddens me that she reportedly passed from an apparent suicide.

 People often think that beautiful, seemingly put together, successful people would be immune to things like this but, the reality is mental health issues are REAL.  It is past time that we become more educated about mental illness.  I think a lot of us still do not know what depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, etc. looks like.  We do not know the symptoms and once diagnosed we do not know how to deal with it (hence the denial oftentimes).  Those around individuals with mental health issues do not how to help that person either and sadly most of us do not understand the seriousness of it.

 I have battled with depression and still have bouts with it at times.  It was not until recently (like a few weeks ago) that I decided to look into getting help in the form of a therapist after others started bringing it to my attention.  I am a VERY private and reserved person. I do not cry easily in front of people or tell people everything that is going on with me so, my thoughts and emotions really threaten to get the best of me sometimes (You know that lump-in your- throat, I-just-want-to-get-in-my-car-and-run-away-type-of-feeling).

I have had some extremely dark days in the past few months.  I mean seriously dark.  Talking to those close to me is still hard because I do not feel like anyone understands what I'm going through.  It is the scariest feeling to be so down and feel as though there is nowhere to turn and that the set of current circumstances will never change.

I realized that this is not normal.  Everyone has bad days but, my bad days were starting to get so bad that I did not want go to work.  I did not want to live.  I wondered what my purpose for living was. I was crying for no reason and would always be angry. I still incorporate my natural methods- working out, prayer, writing, upping my vitamin D intake and doing yoga from time to time but, I now see that I need more.  And it's okay.

For a long time I was struggling with the idea of going to a therapist because I thought I just needed to pray and everything would be alright.  I am still a firm believer in prayer but, God also put resources here to help us if we would only reach out.

If you or someone you know is feeling depressed, please get help.  Talk to someone, check on someone, go out and take a walk.  Say no to a few things and people, and take time out for YOU.  You deserve to feel good about yourself and life in general. Too many are losing this battle.

Myleik, the CEO of Curlbox, recently did a podcast sharing her experiences with depression and therapy.  She discusses why she started seeking therapy and gives tips for those who are struggling with depression. love her podcasts and this one was right on time for me.  Listen here.

God can use this tragedy for good.  May her legacy live on and may this incident save someone else's life.

Natural Cures for Depression

From Getty Images

As a sufferer of depression, I know that it is one of the most debilitating experiences to go through. You often feel lost, confused, and all alone. The thoughts of suicide, worthlessness, dramatic weight loss/gain, problems sleeping and loss of energy can become unbearable for most. It is not something that is effectively addressed in today's society yet, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, depression affects more than 18 million Americans. 

Most times, sufferers are prescribed antidepressants and sent on their way.  The problem with this is that only a reported  35% to 40% of people on these medications have some relief from their symptoms.  Some of the side effects of these antidepressants also deter many depression sufferers from taking them (It sure has deterred me) and these drugs often do not get to the root of what causes depression.

Here are some effective natural methods that can be used to help with depression:

1. Get out and get some sun!- Sunlight gives us the levels of vitamin D our body needs. Vitamin D has great effects on the brain, including the neurotransmitters involved in depression. After learning this, I have begun to get up each morning for a walk or run. Early morning sun is the best.

2. Practice yoga- A growing number of studies have shown that yoga can help relieve depression and anxiety.

3. Exercise- Develop a consistent workout routine. Exercise gets your blood circulating and heart rate up which helps the brain release endorphins (which make you feel happy or euphoric).

* Depression is not be taken lightly. If you have thoughts of suicide or have been depressed for a long period of time, please consult your physician.