October is Emotional Wellness Month

Time for a Check-Up from the Neck Up

We don't think twice about getting a physical or routine screenings for our physical health, but are you doing the same for your mental health? October is Emotional Wellness Month, which serves as a reminder to check in with yourself from the neck up. 

What is Emotional Wellness?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) defines emotional wellness as “the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times.” Emotional wellness doesn’t mean a person is always happy. Instead, they have the ability to recognize negative emotions, accept them and cope in healthy ways; they don’t act impulsively in response to emotions.


If you are experiencing emotional distress for long periods of time, your body is in harms way. Chronic stress can:

  • Cause inflammation in your body
  • Weaken your immune system
  • Increase risk for heart disease, ulcers, diabetes and even cancer
  • Cause weight gain
  • Impair memory and concentration


Read our blog for 6 ways to achieve emotional wellness in your life. It's packed with tons of helpful resources to help you stay well. 


You can also take a free online screening from Mental Health America or you can download screening forms from our website that you can print and go over with your healthcare provider. Please keep in mind, self-assessments and online screenings do not replace an evaluation by a mental health professional.

It's Mental Illness Awareness Week


Every October NAMI and participants across the country raise awareness of mental illness, fight discrimination and provide support through Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). If you live with a mental illness, know you are not alone! 


If you're looking for local treatment and support resources, download our resource guides!

What is a Serious Mental Illness?


There are two categories that can be used to describe these conditions: Any Mental Illness (AMI) and Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Any Mental Illness includes all recognized mental illnesses. Serious Mental Illness (SMI) on the other hand, is defined more specifically as a diagnosable mental, behavior, or emotional disorder, found in patients 18 and older, that causes serious functional impairment that substantially interferes with one or more major life activities. Learn more in our blog and get tips for managing SMI.

Local Events

See below for upcoming community events and trainings. Scroll down for a list of upcoming QPR and Narcan trainings from The Hub and other community partners. 

Naloxone & QPR Training 

The Dangerous Truth About Today's Marijuana and Teen Mental Health

October 24th at 7 PM

Upcoming: October 5th & 19th

Register now.

Upcoming: October 18th

Register now.

Opportunities

Come work with The Hub


Gain valuable experience while making a difference in the community! Prevention Corps is an AmeriCorps program dedicated to addressing the opioid crisis in CT and they are currently recruiting applicants for a position with us at The Hub! Learn more and apply today at preventioncorpsct.org.

Deadline is next week!

Applications for the next grant cycle are now open! You have until October 15th to submit your application with your project idea. Learn more.

One position still available!

In the News

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New suicide prevention group comes to Westport

WESTPORT - A new mental health resource is coming to Westport. Alternatives to Suicide, or Alt2Su, is a peer-led support group for adults having thoughts of suicide that begins Oct. 4. According to Positive Directions, a nonprofit behavioral health organization in Westport that will host the support group, participants are able to openly talk about suicidal thoughts, attempts and experiences.

Read More

Connecticut offering students mental health days

( NewsNation) - Schools in 12 states across the nation, including Connecticut, are allowing students to take mental health days as a move to try and combat the mental health crisis kids are facing in the wake of the pandemic. The idea is spreading and is now being proposed in at least five other states.

Read More
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The Hub: Behavioral Health Action Organization for Southwestern CT

A division of the Regional Youth Adult Social Action Partnership (RYASAP) 


Visit us online at thehubct.org

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Newsletter designed and created in collaboration with Daydream Communications, LLC