Hope for Teens during Mental Health Awareness Month
Written by Sharon Cecil
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. It offers us the opportunity to look at mental health for our family and ourselves.
Teens have so much on their plate these days with the fast paced world in which we live. The Internet brings everything to the forefront except for the one thing teens need—one-on- one time.
June 11, 2016, is National Get Outdoors Day (GO Day). GO Day has a list of reasons “Why GO Day is Great.”
Reason #2 says, “Teenagers live in a world that is more stressed than ever before. They get overloaded with pressure at school, conflicts at home, relationship problems, and career choices. Many have to deal with divorce, moves, financial struggles, jobs, and blended families. When stress builds up, teens cope however they can. They may drink, drive aggressively, get high, overeat, go shopping, spend hours on the computer or playing video games, or take out their frustration on others.
This is why we see increased bullying, isolation, depression, obesity, eating disorders, inappropriate sexual activity, violent outbursts, cutting, intolerance and hate crimes, suicide, and many other destructive choices.
Kids need new and better choices. They need help unwinding and handling pressure in positive ways. Recreation is a powerful antidote to stress.”
You’re invited to join us for GO Day–ScenicFest
On June 11, 2016, Bloomfield, KY and We Survive’s Haven of Hope will hold a GO Day activity – ScenicFest –a LIGHTFEST Re-ignited initiative.
Besides the benefits of active time spent outdoors, ScenicFest will give you the chance to be adventurous spending time in a small one-stop light town—the City of Bloomfield. If you are traveling from the city to the country, you will enjoy a scenic ride.
ScenicFest will be a mix of whole body wellness experiences from enjoying the scenic landscape, browsing at shops with antiques and collectibles, meeting friendly people walking, hiking, games, scavenger hunt, interactive health and wellness educational stations, arts and crafts. In other words a day full of fun and HOPE.
When you are doing a mental health check, some Key Tips for Parents
Keep communication constant, open, and honest
Understand that mental health disorders are treatable
Be attentive to your teen’s behavior
For more information on Mental Health and Wellness during the month of May, you can visit We Survive: A Hope for Health and Wellness
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