Election 2016

With the Presidential election coming up right around the corner, it is more important than ever to make sure that every vote counts! I often hear many people express negative feelings about voting, claiming that one vote does not make a difference, and why bother to take the time to learn the objectives of our Presidential candidates when most states are already heavily swayed towards either democratic or republican views.

Why Vote.

1.    Updhold the Integrity of the Democratic Process instead of allowing special interests to make the decisions for you! If we don’t vote, the election would be entirely controlled by the people specifically recruited by the two candidates- isn’t this what we’re trying to avoid?

2.   Voting is good for your mental health- Being involved in the political realm promotes feelings of oneness with our nation, and can allow an individual to experience feelings of connectedness with others

·      FUN FACT! According to Psychology Today, “studies have demonstrated that the suicide rate actually falls during the US presidential election, no doubt because people feel less alienated at such times, and perhaps also because they feel more hopeful or optimistic and curious as to the outcome of the election.”

3.   It is your right! Remember that many governments around the world don’t allow all their citizens to vote. You have this RIGHT- so go take advantage of it!

·      ALSO- Let’s take a minute to honor the generations of activists and protestors that got us this right to vote- Thanks to the Civil rights movement, and the suffragettes, you CAN vote

4.   These policies do affect your future! Are you planning on going to college and trying to figure out how to afford it? VOTE. Are you struggling with your mental health but you don’t have the right access to treatment? VOTE. Are you worried about our environment but feel like no one is doing anything to change? VOTE. Read Up on each candidates position on policies that matter to you at the bottom of this blog. 

5.   Advocacy - You have a voice- USE IT! This is a time to advocate for yourself, for your community, and for those who can’t advocate for themselves. Do you feel like you’re represented- or people you care about are not being treated fairly? Use your voice and your vote to support those people and advocate for change!

Remember:

It is NOT just the President on the ballot- you’re voting for local offices too

How to Vote.

Register to Vote Here – This also gives you a way to see if you’re already registered!

Here are the steps to register to vote:

1.   Find the voter registration form, and fill it out!

Wisconsin Voter Registration Application

2.   Proof of Residency: What counts?

3.   Submit the form

                  Find Your Municipal Clerk Here

If you’re not going to be home on Election Day:

you can Absentee Vote!

“Absentee voting or absentee ballot refers to the method by which a qualified voter who is temporarily absent from his/her place of domicile will be permitted to cast his/her vote in the general elections. It is privilege granted to voters. However, it is not an absolute right of the voter. Absentee voting helps to prevent fraud in elections. It also preserves ballot secrecy.”

But before one can vote absentee, they must first be registered to vote! (see above)

After registering you can follow the necessary steps to vote absentee.

In Wisconsin the deadline for absentee votes is Thursday (November 3^rd) before the election by 5:00 pm.

Click here for info on absentee voting in Wisconsin

A complete guide to absentee voting

Get Your Absentee Ballot Here

Google has a very easy voter how- to for each state. Type in “How to Vote” in the google search bar, select your state, chose ‘in person’ or ‘by mail’

Who to Vote For.

Not sure who to vote for? It can be tricky to decide. Follow these links for more information on the opinions of our candidates.

Donald Trump on the issues       Hillary Clinton on the issues

Donald Trump Positions             Hillary Clinton Speeches

Teaching Tolerance Election 2016

Mental Health Platforms for Each Party

Compare Candidates and See More of this Handy Table

Whatever candidate you support, please make sure to get out there and vote!


Share This Resource On Social Media to Spread the word!

Sharable Images:

5 Ways You Can Prevent Suicide

It’s National Suicide Prevention Week! Our goal is to Stop Suicide- so let’s get started! To break this down into more bite- size chunks of action items, we’ve created a list of 5 things you can do to help prevent suicide. Here is a comprehensive approach to suicide prevention. Now, there are more than five things you can do, but this is a good starting place.

According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), 42,773 Americans died from suicide in 2014, and suicide claims over 800,00 people globally. Suicide is the 10^th leading cause of death in the US and for every suicide there are approximately 25 more attempts. In the U.S., firearms account for almost 50% of suicides.

Read More Statistics Here and Research Your State

What gets me, is that this is PREVENTABLE! And here’s how:

1.     Educate Yourself and Others

The more we know about suicide, including risk factors and signs the easier it is to identify and prevent. Just to clarify, risk factors help us identify people who may attempt suicide or be thinking about it. Warning signs help us know if the person we’ve identify is in danger of planning suicide. With that information, we also need to accept that not everyone is going to meet these risk factors of show these warning signs. So here is a list of resources for you to get to know suicide:

 Warning Signs and Risk Factors

Warning Signs

Risks and Warnings

Risk Factors

Center for Disease Control Suicide Risks

General Guides to Suicide and Prevention

Suicide Prevention Week Information (Read the Introduction)

About Suicide SPRC

Wisconsin Information

Wisconsin Statistics and Information

Wisconsin Youth Suicide

2     Increase Help- Seeking

One barrier to receiving treatment is not knowing when or where to get it. So first, again, is education. Understanding risk factors and warning signs help to identify when more support is needed. OK, we’ve asked for help…. Now what? This is where knowing services and supports comes in. No one is expected to know every support group, therapist, and treatment option there is in any given city and the internet can have an overwhelming amount of information. Luckily, we have a list of resources to help connect you or someone you care about to the right services:

Crisis Support

Suicide Prevention Lifeline   1-800-273-TALK

Hopeline   Online Chat

Online Chat

Crisis Text Line   741-741

Vetrans Support

National Support

The Trevor Project

Befrienders

Connections to Find Support

AFSP Find Support

Resources and Programs - SPRC

U OK? Peer Support

Resources

Wisconsin Connection to Support

University Health Services

WI Suicide Hotlines

Center for Suicide Awareness WI

Mental Health America- WI

3.     END THE STIGMA

So we know mental illness is a risk factor for suicide, and many of the other risk factors are symptoms of mental illness. It’s not hard to connect mental health and suicide, which is why addressing public and self- stigma around mental health helps prevent suicide. On top of the challenges someone may be facing with their mental illness, they may also experience self- shaming or guilt, along with negative stereotypes and prejudice caused by misconceptions of mental illness. This stigma creates a barrier to receiving appropriate care and stifles support efforts. The more we share our own struggles, educate ourselves and everyone else on mental health issues and suicide, and correct misconceptions, the stronger our cause to stop suicide can be.

            Read Here about the impact of stigma THEN Take the Pledge to be Stigma Free

While we’re at it…. Pledge to Stop Suicide Here

 4.     DONATE

This is where we lose people, when we start asking for money. BUT, we are not necessarily asking for money here – so keep reading!

Donate your time, personal experiences, data, expertise, knowledge, and yes money to promote suicide awareness and prevention. The internet is filled with resources for support, motivation and inspiration, and most of those are fueled by personal stories, survivors, and peer support. This includes video blogs, short statements, longer stories, and anonymous surveys. There are also a variety of opportunities for peer support. Volunteer with a crisis line or an online chat or texting service. Another way to give is to donate your data, share information to produce more evidence for researchers. If giving money is not your thing, which is completely understandable even before you explain why, there are other ways to support this cause financially. Participate in a walk or fundraising, you could even volunteer to coordinate and organize. There are also many memorial funds that allow you to donate in the name of someone lost to suicide, this is a more personal touch and fosters that persons legacy. Another method is to buy merchandise from programs and organizations--- that benefits suicide prevention, gets you something meaningful, and promotes awareness when you wear or use what you bought--- it’s a win, win win!

Donate Your Experience:

Data Donation

Crisis Text Line

The Mighty (Personal Stories and Support)

Recovery Stories

Suicide Prevention Stories

Donate Financial Support:

National Alliance on Mental Illness

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

To Write Love On Her Arms

Suicide Prevention Walks - WI

5.     ADVOCATE

Going through all these resources, risk factors, warning signs, organizations, and awareness campaigns, it is clear that all this support we are talking about is necessary. Sometimes, people can’t act, speak up, or advocate for their own needs. Anything we can do to make that easier, let’s. Any advocacy we can do, interpersonally, in our communities, or nationally, let’s. Combine the first four parts of this blog to participate in this last one. To start, get active on social media sharing and promoting awareness campaigns. Sharing knowledge and experience helps reduce stigma and get people the treatment they need.

Find Your Role in Preventing Suicide

Facebook and Twitter Awareness Campaigns

Political Advocacy

Become and Advocate

  Here are some sharable images: 

Summer Wellness

As summer approaches, heat can lead to a depressive disorder in some people. While seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is more common in the winter (affecting 5 percent of the U.S. population) a smaller group (1 percent) experiences SAD in the summer months. (NKAMHA)

People experiencing SAD are not the only ones who can experience extreme psychiatric symptoms during the summer. You may wonder why you are still in a funk throughout the summer months. As the weather gets warmer and the the sun stays in the sky longer, some may think people with depression, anxiety or other mental illnesses would feel some relief in their symptoms. For some this is true, but many who are struggling with their symptoms or triggers it is hard to figure out new coping skills for practicing adequate self-care throughout the summer.

What are some things you could do to take care of yourself throughout these summer months?

Stay Hydrated

It has been found that when tempters exceed 90 degrees (fahrenheit), those who are receiving treatment with psychiatric medication have a 40% greater risk of heat-related death than the general population.

"Individuals with mental illnesses need to stay hydrated during periods of extreme heat since their medications make them susceptible to heat stroke, and they are more likely to develop certain types of medication toxicities," said Dr. Timothy Stone, the Alabama Dept. of Mental Health's medical director. "Each year in the summer, people with mental illnesses die from heat strokes because they and/or their caregivers may not be aware of the dangers."

If you are unsure of whether or not the medication you are or someone you know is currently taking could put you at risk contact your psychiatrist or proscribing medical provider.

Schedule Regular Check-ups

Make sure you are in good contact with your treatment team throughout the summer months. It is easy to get off schedule do to holiday weekends and summer vacations. If you are a student, set up regular appointments with your treatment team throughout your summer break or finding a treatment team for the summer if you are traveling home or abroad. If needed, discuss the possibility of joining support groups with your treatment team for extra support.

Limit (or eliminate) your alcohol consumption

Drinking alcohol can further dehydrate you and can even make psychiatric symptoms worse. It can put you at risk for using alcohol as an unhealthy coping strategy for these symptoms. Lastly, it has been shown that those who are using are less likely to follow through with their treatment plans with their mental health providers (e.g., adhering to their medication regimens or keeping appointments). This could lead to relapse, more hospitalizations or other outcomes.

Join a Summer League or Class

Trying something new could be anxiety provoking for some, however joining a summer sports league or starting a new hobby gives opportunity for socializing with peers. It is a great way to meet new people or connect with friends regularly throughout the summer. If you need ideas take a look at our activity calendar or community involvement pages!

Create Structure

Create structure in your schedule for the summer. No, don't overwhelm yourself, but having a consistent sleep schedule, eating healthily (if applicable, according to your meal plan), and involving yourself in activities that are satisfactory will help the summer blues. Make sure you are including your self-care in your schedule! If you are struggling with creating a schedule for yourself contact your treatment team or mental health provider for support.