Here is the newsletter for October. Thanks for reading and enjoy! 
Mental Illness Awareness Week

Mental Illness Awareness Week represents efforts made by people around the country to combat the stigma of mental illness and to raise awareness. 

WHEN: October 2nd - October 8th

HOW to get involved: 

Do your part and take the #StigmaFree pledge.

On October 6th, you can get a free mental health screening at HelpYourselfHelpOthers 
Self-Help Groups
SAMHAJ North Jersey Support Group
1st Sunday of the month ( October 2nd )
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Parsippany-Troy Hills Public Library Systems 449 Halsey Rd, Parsippany, NJ 07054

SAMHAJ Central Jersey Support Group
(For family members and peers with a loved one with mental illness)
1st Thursday of the month ( October 6th )
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Location: NAMI NJ Office, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902

For Peers with Lived Experience of Mental Illness
3rd Wednesday of every month ( October 19th )
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: NAMI NJ Office, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902

To learn more about the support groups, click  here
Upcoming Events
NAMIWalks NJ Information Meeting  

Learn how to stomp out stigma at the annual walk! 
Location: First Presbyterian Church of Moorsetown
               101 Bridgeboro Road, Morristown, NJ 08057
When: Sunday, October 8th from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
Find out more  here

NAMIWalks NJ Second Information Meeting
Location: Morris County Library - Public Meeting Room                
                30 E Hanover St, Whippany, NJ 07981
When: Saturday, October 29th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm

SAMHAJ Annual Celebration

Saturday November 5th, 2016
12:00 - 3:00 pm
Location: Crown of India, Princeton Meadows Shopping Center                               
                660 Plainsboro Road
                Plainsboro Twp, NJ, 08536
Register for the celebration  here
                                               
Related Articles
An interesting look at the inspiration behind Jerry Pinto's " A Book of Light: When a Loved One Has a Different Mind", as well as his thoughts on the stigma mental health carries in India

A look at India's problematic infrastructure regarding mental health

Some of history's greatest leaders including Lincoln, Churchill, and Gandhi had  mental illnesses which may have sparked their success



Miscellaneous Articles
Interesting personal story on how alcoholism impacts more than just the addict

Acknowledgement of a rising trend of depressed adolescents and a look into possible explanations

A study has shown that negative Facebook experiences are more prevalent among depressed young adults compared to a sample population

Examination of Clinton's proposed policies within the realm of mental health
  SAMHAJ is an awareness and education program of NAMI NJ.   Our mission is to provide Support, Education and Advocacy for South Asian American individuals and families affected by serious mental illness.  

We welcome donations to support our work in the community!

For volunteer opportunities & more, please contact either Aruna or Beena at 732-940-0991 or email [email protected]