Morning Light Wellness, PLLC

Today is a historical day for su***de prevention and mental health in the U.S.! The National Su***de Prevention Lifeline, now known as the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline, can be more easily reached by calling or texting 988, or chatting on 988lifeline.org.

988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the U.S., you can easily access 24/7 emotional support. You do not have to be suicidal to reach out. Our trained crisis counselors can help you through whatever mental health challenges you are experiencing.

We're so grateful to SAMHSA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Communications Commission, and our other su***de prevention and mental health partners in the field for working together to get us here, and we look forward to growing and expanding our services and supports in the years to come.

It’s MAY🧠🦋! That means it is Mental Health Awareness Month!
May is a time to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma so many experience.

Mental health refers to our emotional and social well-being and impacts how we think, feel, and behave. It plays a role in connecting with others, making decisions, handling stress and many other aspects of daily life. Everyone has mental health, and it deserves your attention just as much as your physical health does.
After the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are realizing that stress, isolation, and uncertainty have taken a toll on their well-being.

If your mental health is in a good spot, it is a great time to practice coping skills – ways to help you deal with hard feelings – so that you're better able to handle tough times when they happen ✨

Source: Mhanational.org

APRIL is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, otherwise known as SAAM. During this month, people across the United States raise awareness about sexual violence, how to prevent it, and how to support those who are affected by it. This year’s SAAM theme is Building Safe Online Spaces Together, because sexual harassment, assault, and abuse can happen anywhere, including online.

As we connect online, we can learn how to practice digital consent, intervene when we see harmful content or behaviors, and ensure that online spaces — whether they be workspaces, classrooms, social media platforms, or otherwise — are respectful and safe.

One in five women in the United States experienced completed or attempted r**e during their lifetime. Nearly a quarter (24.8%) of men in the U.S. experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime. One in three female victims of completed or attempted r**e experienced it for the first time between the ages of 11 and 17. About one in four male victims of completed or attempted r**e first experienced it between the ages of 11 and 17.

Silence and lack of knowledge about these problems play a large part in why domestic and sexual violence continue to persist. Understanding the warning signs or red flags for domestic violence, sexual assault and abuse is a critical first step in addressing and preventing these crimes.

65% of victims who come forward to someone say that no one helped them. If someone discloses that they have or are being abused let them know that the abuse is not their fault. It may be difficult for them to talk about the abuse, but you don’t need to be an expert, you just need to be a friend. Provide reassurance to them that they are not alone, they are not to blame for what happened and that there is help and support out there🦋

Sources: nomore.org/nsvrc.org

Happy Wednesday 🦋✨
Do you find yourself worrying about things you CAN’T control? Look below and learn some helpful TIPS to help!

1. Create a toolbox of “nourishing activities” you can lean on. The two main categories would be activities that bring you joy or happiness to some degree and then activities where you can get a sense of achievement!

2. Practice Mindfulness: participating in mindfulness exercises like meditation can help you in learning how to stop worrying about things you can’t control. Mindfulness strategies/exercises help to actually guide you in noticing your thoughts and hopefully accepting them and letting them go.

3. Experiment with Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): This process aligns with mindfulness in that it involves noticing your thoughts, labeling them as worried thoughts, and practicing acceptance around them.

4. Talk to yourself as you would talk to a loved one: Think to yourself, ‘If my mom or my brother or my friend said they were worried things are never going to be okay, how would I respond to them?’

Remember, it is normal/okay to worry about things! We are only HUMAN✨

New Therapist Alert 🦋
Meet Evelyn! She received her Master of Social Work from The University of North Carolina at Pembroke in 2017. She is a clinical therapist dually licensed as a Clinical Social Worker and Clinical Addiction Specialist. Evelyn has experience working as a crisis clinician and in the field areas of addiction, anxiety, behavioral concerns, depression, and grief and loss. Her therapy techniques are built on the core values of strength based and person-centered approaches.

Evelyn utilizes evidence-based practices to guide and provide a ther**eutic setting that is safe for clients to share their stories, process their emotions, and address the personal life challenges that prevent them from living and reaching their maximum potential in life.

We are so thrilled to have her on the MLW team! ✨

Happy International Women’s Day ✨
“Gender Equality for a sustainable tomorrow”🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏽‍♀️🙋🏾‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️

Improve your mood TODAY! ✨🧠

African Americans are disproportionately more likely to experience mental health issues and social stigma. Historical adversity, which includes slavery, sharecropping, and race-based exclusion from health, educational, social and economic resources, translates into socioeconomic disparities experienced by African Americans today.

People who are impoverished, homeless, incarcerated or have substance abuse issues are at higher risk to experience mental health issues. Mental health does not discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity. Anyone can be susceptible to the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. However, background and identity can make access to mental health treatment much more difficult.

In 2019, su***de was the second leading cause of death for blacks or African Americans, ages 15 to 24.

The death rate from su***de for black or African American men was four times greater than for African American women, in 2018.

Black females, grades 9-12, were 60 percent more likely to attempt su***de in 2019, as compared to non-Hispanic white females of the same age.

Source: minorityhealth.hhs.gov

New Therapist Alert! 🦋
Morning Light Wellness, PLLC is thrilled to welcome a new therapist on the team! Meet Juliana Lozano!!

Juliana is a bilingual therapist, fluent in both English and Spanish. She is passionate about working with clients who have faced trauma as she has overcome many adversities in her life. Her own journey in therapy led her to become a therapist. She is an advocate for mental health awareness.

Juliana is the founder of Despierta, a non profit organization in Charlotte that helps empower Latinas by educating them on an array of topics including women’s health, mental health, and intimate partner violence.

She believes in the importance of being culturally competent and has a passion for breaking mental health stigma. She has extensive knowledge in the area of intimate partner violence. She is a member of the LovesSpeaksOut Bureau which brings community awareness to the topic of teen dating violence.

She believes in a mind-body-spirit approach in the ther**eutic process!!

You GOT this! 👍🧠🦋

Self-Harm is also known as non-suicidal self injury (NSSI). NSSI refers to the intentional destruction of one’s own body tissue without suicidal intent and for purposes not socially sanctioned. NSSI is most common among adolescents and young adults. Lifetime rates in these populations are about 15% to 20% and onset typically occurs around age 13 or 14.

In both adolescents and adults, rates of NSSI are highest among psychiatric populations, particularly people who report characteristics associated with emotional distress, such as negative emotionality, depression, anxiety, and emotion dysregulation.

Psychotherapy - Also known as talk therapy. Psychotherapy can help an individual Identify and manage underlying issues that trigger self-injuring behavior, learn skills to better manage distress and learn how to regulate emotions.

Our therapist here at Morning Light Wellness, PLLC are trained to help individuals who may be struggling with NSSI. Reach out today to start your healing journey! We are more than happy to help! 🦋

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

BE KIND 🧠💕✨

Happy New Year! ✨

Daily Reminder 🦋✨

Practice Positive Self-talk! Self-talk is the internal narrative you hold about yourself. It’s your inner voice and you may or may not have spent much time thinking about it or giving it any attention. The truth is, our self-talk can actually have a much bigger influence on the way we see ourselves, and the world around us than we realize.

Positive self-talk makes you feel good about yourself and the things that are going on in your life. It’s an optimistic voice in your head that encourages you to look at the bright side, pick yourself up when you fall and recognize when you fail. Try it out today! 🧠✨

Happy Wednesday🧠✨

‘Tis the season to be jolly. Right? Unfortunately for some, fall/winter isn’t so merry after all!
What is seasonal depression?

Seasonal depression also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that occurs at the same time each year. SAD can affect your mood, sleep, appetite, and energy levels, taking a toll on all aspects of your life from your relationships and social life to work, school, and your sense of self-worth. You may feel like a completely different person to who you are in the summer months.
How common is SAD?

About 5 percent of adults in the United States experience SAD and it typically lasts about 40 percent of the year. It is more common among women than men
How do I cope with SAD?

Light it up: Some people find that light therapy can be effective for SAD. Light boxes are designed to simulate sunlight and trigger a release of serotonin in the brain. Used regularly, for around 2 hours a day, the benefits of light therapy accumulate overtime.

Spend time with those who make you happy: They say laughter is the best medicine. So, spend time with people who make you laugh and make you happy. Socializing with those you care about can be a great way to lift your mood and keep you going.

Get all the natural light you can: The sun might not be out for as long as we would like and as SAD is often linked to reduced exposure to natural sunlight, it is important to get as much as you can. Sit by a window during the day, or take your walk when it’s light outside.

Think positively: Be aware of your thoughts. The way we feel can be seen to be linked to how we think about the situation we are in. Are all your thoughts negative? Challenge your thinking! What evidence do you have for this thought? If I look at this situation differently, does it change how I feel?
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Happy Sunday! 🦋✨

How are you prioritizing YOUR Time ? Are you overwhelmed with work and NOT enough sleep? Take a closer look at your schedules today to see how you can take more time out for YOURSELF! Self-care is NOT selfish ✨

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is an annual campaign to increase awareness of the disease. 💗

"Many women are truly unable to afford mammography services. NBCF funding allows us to reach vulnerable women who are falling through the cracks. Whether this leads to a cancer diagnosis that can now be successfully treated or provides peace of mind that there is no evidence of cancer, we have changed somebody’s life for the better”. -Elizabeth A. Jett M.D.

Postpartum depression is a serious mental illness that involves the brain and affects your behavior and physical health.
Depression is a common problem after pregnancy. 1 in 9 new mothers suffer from postpartum depression.

Symptoms:
•Difficulty bonding with your baby
•Withdrawing from family and friends
•Feelings of worthlessness, shame, guilt or inadequacy
•Fear that you're not a good mother
•Overwhelming fatigue or loss of energy
•Excessive crying
•Depressed mood or severe mood swings

Postpartum psychosis may bring on very severe symptoms including:
•Obsessive thoughts about your baby
•Attempts to harm yourself or your baby
•Confusion and disorientation
•Hallucinations and delusions

One of the most important things to know about Postpartum depression is that you ARE NOT ALONE! So many women experience an array of different emotions after giving birth. Some of those emotions are not always joyful and THAT’S OKAY!
Being a new mommy to a tiny little human is very rewarding, but also very hard. Know you are doing the BEST that you can and remember to take it one day at a time! 🍼👶🏻👶🏼👶🏽👶🏾👶🏿

•Globally, an estimated 264 million people are affected by depression. More women are affected than men.
Even before COVID-19, the prevalence of mental illness among adults was increasing. In 2017-2018, 19% of adults experienced a mental illness, an increase of 1.5 million people over last year’s dataset.
9.7% of youth in the U.S. have severe major depression, compared to 9.2% in last year’s dataset. This rate was highest among youth who identify as more than one race, at 12.4%.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began to spread rapidly in March 2020, over 178,000 people have reported frequent suicidal ideation.
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
Mental illness and substance use disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult (estimated 12 million visits).

Source:
https://www.who.int
https://www.mhanational.org

Happy Brain Chemicals🧬
Dopamine - The Reward Chemical🏆
How to activate: Listen to music, learn something new, or make a small list of task and complete them.

Serotonin - The Mood Stabilizer😊
How to activate: Meditate, sit in the sunlight, healthy diet, or exercise.

Oxytocin - The Love Hormone 💕
Get or give a massage, spend time with friends, show affection or do something nice for someone.

Endorphins - The Pain Reliever 💊
How to activate: regular exercise, yoga and meditation, laughing, create art or music.

Activate your Happy Brain Chemicals TODAY!! ✨

⚡️USE YOUR POWER⚡️

Happy Friday! 🦋

Person-Centered Therapy🦋

Person-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s. The person-centered therapist learns to recognize and trust human potential, providing clients with empathy and unconditional positive regard to help facilitate change. The therapist avoids directing the course of therapy by following the client’s lead whenever possible. Instead, the therapist offers support, guidance, and structure so that the client can discover personalized solutions within themselves.

Rather than viewing people as inherently flawed, with problematic behaviors and thoughts that require treatment, person-centered therapy identifies that each person has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change

Person-Centered Therapy🦋

Person-centered therapy was developed by Carl Rogers in the 1940s. The person-centered therapist learns to recognize and trust human potential, providing clients with empathy and unconditional positive regard to help facilitate change. The therapist avoids directing the course of therapy by following the client’s lead whenever possible. Instead, the therapist offers support, guidance, and structure so that the client can discover personalized solutions within themselves.

Rather than viewing people as inherently flawed, with problematic behaviors and thoughts that require treatment, person-centered therapy identifies that each person has the capacity and desire for personal growth and change.