May is Mental Health Month Web Links
Albany, NY (May 4, 2011)
Where in the World Wide Web will you go today? To celebrate May is Mental Health Month, we have compiled 31 interesting links to help you and your loved ones lead full and healthy lives. Check out some of these links to learn more about health, wellness, and emotional development.
May 1. Do More for 1 in 4 is a call to action to raise awareness of about the 1 in 4 American adults who live with a diagnosable, treatable mental health condition. It is the 2011 May is Mental Health theme developed by Mental Health America.
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may 
May 2. SAMHSA’s 10 x 10 wellness campaign promotes the importance of addressing all parts of a person’s life in hopes of increasing life expectancy for persons with mental health problems by 10 years for the next 10 years.
http://www.promoteacceptance.samhsa.gov/10by10/default.aspx
May 3. Mtv and the Jed Foundation combined forces to develop Half of Us, a campaign aimed at college students to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues and to connect students to the appropriate resources to get help. College students are especially at risk with half reporting that they have been so stressed that they couldn’t function during the past year.
http://www.halfofus.com/default_splash.aspx
May 4. Celebrate Children’s Book Week and read to your child. Did you know that reading aloud to young children is not only one of the best activities to stimulate language and cognitive skills, it also builds motivation, curiosity, and memory? Reading aloud is also a proven technique to help children cope during times of stress or tragedy.
http://www.reachoutandread.org/
May 5. An average of one in 110 children in the United States has an Autism Spectrum Disorder. Learn about the Autism Spectrum and where you can go for help in New York.
http://nyacts.org/
May 6. The Brain Works Project is an emotional health education initiative that teaches pre-teens how their brain functions and helps them to understand emotional challenges and how to use effective coping skills and tools.
http://www.copingskills4kids.net/
May 7. In honor of Kentucky Derby Day, learn about the healing power of horses.
http://www.equine-therapy-programs.com/
May 8. Happy Mother's Day! Taking care of mom, nurturing self as well as baby.
http://www.hrsa.gov/womenshealth/maternal_wellness_website/pdfs/tcm.pdf
May 9. Baby Blues to Postpartum Depression.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/conditions/postpartum-depression.cfm
May 10. Fifteen Cognitive distortions (“stinkin thinkin”) and how to fix them.
http://www.behavioralinstitute.org/FreeDownloads/START/15 Common Cognitive Distortions_J M Grohol.pdf
May 11. The Power of Friendship...Compeer. Making Friends. Changing Lives.
http://www.compeer.org/Locations/NewYorkState/tabid/2627/Default.aspx
May 12. Bullying is a serious problem. It isn’t a phase, a joke, or a right of passage that anyone should have to go through. Bullying can cause lasting emotional harm.
http://www.stopbullying.gov/
May 13. Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. The It Gets Better project helps young LGBT see that do have a future for themselves.
http://www.itgetsbetter.org/pages/about-it-gets-better-project/
May 14. Break out your dancing shoes, who knew there were cognitive benefits to dancing?
http://socialdance.stanford.edu/syllabi/smarter.htm
May 15. Its International Family Day… Have dinner together! The benefits of family dining may be more extensive than you think.
http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/cff/documents/promoting_meals/spellsuccessfactsheet.pdf
May 16. A child’s sense of self-worth is a major factor in deciding your child’s future. Handle with care. Some tips on building your child's self esteem.
http://www.cwla.org/positiveparenting/tipsesteem.htm
May 17. Resilience means being able to adapt to life’s misfortunes and setbacks. It means bouncing back from difficult experiences.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/resilience/MH00078
May 18. Injuring yourself on purpose by making scratches or cuts with a sharp object is called cutting. Cutting is a type of Self-Injurious behavior. Self-injury can also include burning, ripping or pulling skin or hair, swallowing toxic substances, self bruising, and breaking bones. Learn more at Cornell’s Family Life Development Center.
http://www.crpsib.com/
May 19. Take 2 minutes out of your day and try a guided relaxation exercise. What have you got to lose aside from a little stress?
http://www.clevelandclinic.org/health/diabetes_module/dm5_4.html
May 20. Acupressure to tame tension….acupuncture without the needles. May be just what the doctor ordered.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lloyd-i-sederer-md/what-is-acupressure_b_829432.html
May 21. Tune in to Talk Therapy TV, a weekly New York City and Long Island television show dedicated to promoting behavioral health awareness, treatment, and recovery. Episodes can be watched online anywhere, any time.
http://www.talktherapytv.org/
May 22. Celebrate Older Americans Month and learn more about how depression is not a normal part of aging.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/healthinformation/publications/depression.htm
May 23. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. It is the most common form dementia. Visit the Alzheimer’s Association to learn more.
http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_what_is_alzheimers.asp
May 24. Keep forgetting where you put your keys? Try some of these exercises.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/105984-memory-exercises-seniors/
May 25. Food for your brain… The Mediterranean Diet.
http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20100427/mediterranean-diet-may-save-brain-power
And now that you know your neurons will love it, some recipes for you to try.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-mediterranean-diet
May 26. In honor of Military Spouse Month, thank you all for what you do behind the scenes while your soldier/wingman/marine/sailor/coastie is protecting our freedom.
http://www.milspouse.com/
May 27. The Defense Centers of Excellence was created to provide information on psychological health and traumatic brain injury.
http://www.dcoe.health.mil/24-7help.aspx
May 28. Minding Your Mental Health—Navy and Marine Corp Public Health Center.
http://www.nmcphc.med.navy.mil/Healthy_Living/Psychological_Health/Mental_Health/mmh_mentalhealth.aspx
May 29. Army resources 24/7 for soldiers, spouses, and their families.
http://www.myarmyonesource.com/default.aspx
May 30. The Wingman Project was developed to eliminate Warfighter and family member suicide through human outreach, media and training. Anyone can be a Wingman. Start your training today to honor our veterans on this Memorial Day.
http://ny.wingmanproject.org/
May 31. Tobacco kills up to half of its users. Please join the observance of World No Tobacco Day today.
http://www.who.int/tobacco/en/