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Karen L. Cassiday, PhD ADAA President
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 Catch Up with Karen
The ADAA Board and leadership recognizes that this past year has been a tumultuous and, for many in our country, a very stressful and distressing one. Numerous instances of hate speech and angry sound bites have left many in our country, particularly minority groups, feeling extremely anxious, depressed and uncertain about the future.
Numerous research studies clearly indicate that not only does prejudice and hate speech decrease the ability to experience empathy and increase the risk of violence in society from both the prejudiced group and the victimized group, but it can also impair immune functioning and can even increase stroke risk. It can also negatively impact relationships and increase the risk for verbal and physical violence.
Hate speech, even when just overheard or read in the media and not personally directed at an individual, can result in emotional distress, difficulty concentrating, loss of trust and loss of community for anyone who identifies with the group who is being slandered.
There is no doubt that the ripple effect of anger, hate speech and prejudice is terrible and costly.
Yet research also clearly shows that there are concrete actions that people can take to improve mental health and wellness. Learning to practice tolerance, acceptance, kindness and service to others has a very positive impact on mental health and contributes to mental and physical wellness. People who learn to see the opportunity in difficult situations and find gratitude in all circumstances have a significant mental health advantage and tend to be more creative, happy and productive. This in turn creates a positive ripple effect in those around them.
We strongly encourage those feeling particularly anxious or depressed to avail themselves of the many helpful resources ADAA provides - from public education
webinars,
podcasts and
blog posts to our
free online peer-to-peer support group and helpful
Apps. ADAA is here to help. We encourage those who struggle with these disorders to work together toward our goals and look ahead to a more tolerant and peaceful 2017.
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New Year, New You! Check out our blog posts, podcasts, and webinars by ADAA experts. There's something for everyone:
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January "Wednesday Webinar"*
Talk Saves Lives
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Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman
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Suicide affects many people either through their own suicidal thoughts and behavior or because they know someone who has died by suicide. We have learned that suicide can be prevented if we understand more about it. The basic statistics about suicide are reviewed along with some of what we have learned from research to better understand and prevent suicide.
Later this month, listen in as Dr. Jill Harkavy-Friedman discusses the topic of suicide; risk factors and contributors to suicide, along with information about suicide prevention and how an individual might recognize warning signs and help someone who is thinking about suicide.
A pioneer in suicide research, Dr. Harkavy-Friedman leads the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's growing research grant program. For more than 30 years she has published over 90 articles, and works closely with AFSP's Education, Communication, and Public Policy and Advocacy teams to develop programs and messages to ensure they follow best practices in suicide prevention and reflect the latest findings in research. Dr. Harkavy-Freidman will be attending ADAA's 37th Annual Conference and will be leading a session.
*New!
As this webinar will be pre-recorded and posted on the ADAA website later this month. We will send out an announcement as soon as the webinar posting date is confirmed. As this webinar is not live, we are requesting questions in advance for Dr. Harkavy-Friedman. Dr. Harkavy-Friedman will address your question in her webinar recording. Please email all questions here. We will also post the questions and answers on the ADAA website the day after the webinar is posted.
Didn't catch the last two ADAA webinars? Watch Them Today!
Helping Kids and Teens Who Have OCD
Dr. Elspeth Bell explores adaptations of traditional CBT techniques specifically focused for working with clients with OCD.
Watch the recorded webinar.
Tips for Helping Your Child Process The Election & Other Complicated World Events
Anxiety and parenting expert, Dr. Debra Kissen, provides practical tips on how to find a balance between providing too much and too little information about complex national and global affairs.
Watch the recorded webinar.
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In an attempt to create an open dialogue about depression and anxiety, Jersey City Hip-Hop/Theatre artist David Acosta (Murdock) created and recorded an album about his own personal battles called #AAAH. It is is a concept album partnered with live theatrical performances to share Murdock's struggle with the world and hopefully break some of the negative stigma attached to mental health. David presented his latest hip-hop album to the public for the first time at the Merseles Studio at Jersey City Theater Center in Jersey City. This event was part of a new incubator series recently launched by local theatre company No Dominion Theatre Co. called H.A.T.C.H. (Helping Artists to Create Here), and they teamed up with David to present a night featuring various local musicians and fine artists, with David's album #AAAH as the highlight of the evening. Many thanks to No Dominion Theatre Co. for selecting ADAA as their fundraising beneficiary.
Read more about the event here.
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Free Anxiety and Depression Support Group
ADAA recently launched a free peer-to-peer online support group for individuals who struggle with anxiety and depressive disorders. It's easy to join!
Sign up today
and help us spread the word.
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Ryan "China" McCarney was 22 years old when he experienced his first panic attack. Six years later he decided to face the anxiety head on and find treatment. "This is where ADAA came into my life. Simple information about the disorders I was dealing with gave me clarity and immediately helped with some of the extreme symptoms."
Read China's Personal Story of Triumph, get inspired, and help ADAA engage, educate, and empower the millions who struggle every day with anxiety and depressive disorders.
Each month ADAA will feature a thank you note, or a personal story of triumph. We invite you to share your own story with us or share how ADAA has helped you or a loved one.
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S
earch ADAA's
Find a Therapist online directory.
The licensed mental health providers listed in this directory specialize in anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and related disorders. All therapists in our directory are professional members of ADAA.
Coming soon! ADAA members who offer telemental health services will be listed on the ADAA website. We expect to have the list up by mid-January.
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Many thanks to our ADAA community for their support during our end of year fundraising campaign. We are pleased to report that we reached our $25,000 goal! Together we change lives for millions affected by anxiety, depressive, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders by providing free access to webinars, podcasts, videos, blog posts, our new online peer to peer support group, research, and more.
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ADAA Self-Help Books Now Available in Kindl
e
Facing Panic:
Self-Help for People With Panic Attacks
Triumph Over Shyness:
Conquering S
ocial Anxiety Disorder
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Please email ADAA with feedback.
We want to hear from you!
Thank you.
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Help ADAA create a social media movement to raise awareness, reduce stigma, offer hope and help, and broaden our community engagement.
Please like us on Facebook, Tweet us on Twitter @Got_Anxiety, and watch us on Pinterest and share our content with friends and family. Thank you!
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