Mental illness is not uncommon. One in four people will struggle with a diagnosable mental illness every year. That means that it will most likely affect you, someone you know and love, or even your kids. But unlike other illnesses, there is still a stigma attached to mental illness and behavioral problems. When it comes to kids, many will begin to develop a stereotypical image of mental illness as they get older based on what they see in the media or hear from friends, which is why education is important. So the question arises - when and how can we talk to our kids about mental illness in a way that will be educational and reassuring? 

National Volunteer Week is a time to celebrate the millions of volunteers who donate their time to better their communities. Between September 2013 and September 2014, about 63 million people, or 25% of the population, volunteered at least once. The hours of service given in the last year were valued at $173 billion; the average value of a volunteer hour in the U.S. is $22.55 ($26.43 in Connecticut). 

Taking a sip of alcohol before the age of 21 seems pretty harmless to most teens, but the truth is drinking has damaging effects when abused. It’s important to educate kids at a young age about the risks associated with alcohol, which is why "For the Health of It: Early Education on Alcoholism and Addiction" is the theme of this year’s National Alcohol Awareness Month. 

March is the 60th anniversary of National Social Work Month, a time to recognize the invaluable role social workers play in patient care and recovery, especially in the mental health field.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 11% of teens have some kind of depressive disorder by the age of 18.  Many more teens have symptoms of depression that, when detected and treated early, may prevent the onset of a major depressive episode. 

It’s a triple whammy. Most of us go from the warmth of Thanksgiving, to the exuberance of Christmas and Hanukkah, right to the excitement of New Year’s – and then what? Then we face the cold hard truth of January and February – the two most barren months of the year. You are not alone if you feel blue just anticipating next week when all the hubbub of the holidays is over. If you take Google Trends to be an indication of how we are collectively feeling, searches for the words “depression,” “depressed,” and “sad” spike beginning the last week in December and don’t decline until April.

Focus on Year-Round Self-Improvement Instead Who doesn’t want to lose a few pounds, eat healthier, save more money or give up bad habits like smoking? The New Year seems to bring about pressure to improve ourselves. Every year about 45% of Americans make resolutions, but only about 8% achieve their goal. Why?

Strategies to help you enjoy every aspect of the holidays, including the food. You may be surprised that Silver Hill Hospital prepares holiday feasts for our patients and their families to enjoy. This is because we believe food is an integral part of every holiday celebration, and we want our families to enjoy the moment together.

The holidays are quickly approaching and many parents are eager to have their children home from college, but the son or daughter they dropped off in August may not seem like the same one that returns for the holiday season.

In the U.S.  42.1 million people smoke and people with a mental illness are twice as likely to smoke. Most likely you know that it’s a dangerous habit, but did you realize cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US? Smoking is responsible for about 1 in 3 cancer deaths.

It’s Mental Health Wellness Week and unlike other awareness days and weeks the focus is on staying well, not the condition itself. Two of the goals are promoting the benefit of mental wellness for both the mind and body and educating people on how to incorporate mental wellness techniques into their daily lives, whether you have a mental illness or not. The best way to stay well is to have good coping skills and build resiliency to deal with life when it throws us curveballs.

As fall arrives, college students are settling into their routines. The pressures of college create a great deal of stress for students. Keeping up with school work, getting good grades and navigating new social circles can weigh heavily on a young mind. How does one keep up?

People often use the terms mental health and mental illness interchangeably, but just as with any other medical condition, you are healthy or you are ill. It is a serious mistake to call it a mental health issue when someone has a mental illness. They are sick. It is real, and because people do not understand the difference, it can interfere with proper treatment.

Suicide rarely occurs without warning. It is the final sad step in a life unnecessarily taken over by illness and despair. In fact, 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable and treatable mental illness. In other words, suicide is very often preventable.