National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month
People with depression often find that it’s hardest to cope during the holidays. Therefore, it makes sense to set aside plenty of lead time between now and the holiday season.
During this time, screening for mental illness becomes more affordable. Many hospitals, facilities, and mental health practitioners reduce or waive their rates for screening.
Those who believe that they may have an issue are more easily able to obtain an accurate diagnosis. Health professionals will then work with them to ensure that they receive the assistance that they require.
Health Literacy Month
For more than 20 years, October has been recognized as Health Literacy Month. Health Literacy Month is a time of international observance when hospitals, health centers, literacy programs, libraries, social service agencies, businesses, professional associations, government agencies, consumer alliances, and many other groups can work collaboratively to integrate and expand the mission of health literacy.
Health Literacy Month was founded by Helen Osborne and is now brought to you by the Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA).
Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month! Use your voice. Whether you are a student, educator, or parent, here are important points to know and emphasize when you speak in front of a group, lead a class discussion, or talk with peers.
WEAR and SHARE ORANGE to come together in one giant message uniting our nation for kindness, acceptance and inclusion, and even the world, to visibly show that we believe no child should ever experience bullying.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
This October is the 31st Domestic Violence Awareness Month. “Domestic violence is not physical violence alone. Domestic violence is any behavior the purpose of which is to gain power and control over a spouse, partner, girl/boyfriend or intimate family member. Abuse is a learned behavior; it is not caused by anger, mental problems, drugs or alcohol, or other common excuses.”
Controlling behavior. Anytime someone close to you is trying to limit, isolate, or control you, in any way big or small, this should be a big red flag. A truly healthy relationship means working together as equal partners, not one person dominating and controlling the other.
Some examples of this type of controlling behavior include, but are not limited to:
- jealousy when the victim is away from the abuser/with other people
- working to isolate the victim from other sources of support
- telling the victim s/he is worthless, or other negative comments meant to break down self esteem
- taking over big decisions in the victim’s life for him/her
- taking over small decisions like what to wear, eat, where to go
- destructive behavior towards the victim’s possessions
- stalking
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Tens of thousands of families across the United States are devastated each year by the death of their baby. But the grief of these families and the value of their babies’ lives are very rarely acknowledged. In 1988, US President Ronald Reagan declared October as a month to recognize the unique grief of bereaved parents in an effort to demonstrate support to the many families who have suffered such a tragic loss. Promoting awareness of pregnancy and infant loss not only increases the likelihood that grieving families will receive understanding and support, but also results in improved education and prevention efforts which may ultimately reduce the incidence of these tragedies.
ADHD Awareness Month
ADHD is a non-discriminatory disorder affecting people of every age, gender, IQ, religious and socio-economic background.
In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the percentage of children in the United States who have ever been diagnosed with ADHD is now 9.5%. Boys are diagnosed two to three times as often as girls.
Among adults, the Harvard/NIMH National Comorbidity Survey Replication found 4.4% percent of adults, ages 18-44 in the United States, experience symptoms and some disability.
ADHD, AD/HD, and ADD all refer to the same disorder. The only difference is that some people have hyperactivity and some people don’t.
NHEW is focused on increasing national awareness of major public health issues and promoting a better understanding of the role of health education.
The overall objective of World Mental Health Day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
The Day provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
Every year on National Coming Out Day, we celebrate coming out as LGBTQ+
National Stop Bullying Day on the second Wednesday in October brings together students, faculty, and parents to end bullying.
This annual designation promotes standing up against and put an end to bullying. No child should be afraid to ride a bus or go to school because a classmate threatens them. Children who have been bullied should also feel they can report the incident without repercussions.
Bullying comes in many forms. It occurs repeatedly and is a way for the perpetrator to show their power. Whether the bullying is verbal, physical, relational, or cyberbullying, the results are detrimental.
- Verbal bullying involves spoken words. The person may threaten or call names. They may use disrespectful language toward family, friends, or specifically aimed at their target.
- Physical bullying is aggression in the form of hitting, kicking, pushing, or any unwanted touch.
- Relational bullying involves purposely excluding someone from activities, groups, or events through social tactics.
- Cyberbullying includes using social media, texts, and the internet to spread rumors, lies, or mean messages about a person.
On October 15th, participate in the International Wave of Light by lighting a candle at 7 pm local time to honor all babies gone too soon. Keep your candle lit for at least one hour to create a continuous “wave of light” across all time zones covering the entire globe!
Community Resources:
Visit FoundinFaithMD.org/get-help/apply/
to apply to the Fresh Start Furniture Program TODAY!
If you do not have computer access, please call 443-519-2464 ext. 2
ALL FURNITURE REQUESTS ARE SCHEDULED BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
