National Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2024

sexual assault

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. National Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2024 April 2024 marks National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s 23rd annual National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM), a campaign dedicated to preventing sexual assault. Though each year focuses on a different theme pertaining to preventing sexual assault, NSVRC always centers visibility about sexual assault and how it can be prevented – whether that’s through education about healthy sexuality, consent, or bystander intervention.  NSVRC coordinates a national SAAM campaign complete with the resources and tools needed to hold an event or otherwise raise awareness. This makes it more accessible for communities, workplaces, and college campuses to develop their own programs related to preventing sexual assault.  Sexual Assault and Trauma The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) describes sexual violence/assault as “sexual activity when consent is not obtained or freely given. It is a serious public health problem in the United States …

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Stress Awareness Month 2024

sexual assault

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. What is Stress Awareness Month? Stress Awareness Month has been recognized during the month of April since 1992; it spreads awareness of the ways in which stress impacts our mental and physical health as well as urges us to find healthy ways to manage our own stress. What is stress and how does it impact us? What exactly is stress? According to the American Psychological Association, stress is defined as “the physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave” (2024). In other words, stress is our own response to stimuli (stressors). Stress can be acute (responses to short term stressors) or chronic (response to ongoing, long term stressors), and not all stress is bad. Some stress can help us better navigate situations such as job interviews or help us …

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4 Benefits of Group Therapy

sexual assault

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. Group Therapy Group therapy is a form of psychotherapy involving one or more mental health professionals working with several people at the same time. In group therapy settings, clients often reinforce and develop support networks, learn and practice coping skills, and build interpersonal skills. Group therapy is often used to treat mental health disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders (social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, etc.), substance use disorders, and mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder, etc.). Group therapy is also appropriate for people navigating similar challenges such as motherhood, grief due to a loss, bullying in adolescence, and many other lived experiences. Benefits of Group Therapy Group therapy has many benefits, some of which are outlined below: More Affordable Group therapy can be a more affordable and accessible alternative to traditional, individual talk therapy. Group therapy is often less expensive than individual therapy, even …

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National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2024

National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week

By Ashley Barnes, M.S. National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week 2024 The Drug Enforcement Administration supports the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) during their annual National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week (NDAFW®) which has been held since 2010. NDAFW brings scientific experts and teens together to discuss the scientific facts about drugs, as well as their potential health effects on teen bodies and brains.  The week-long observance will be held March 18-24, 2024. Substance Use and the Teen Brain “As adolescents mature, they undergo complex developmental changes, especially in their brains. The widespread changes in the organization and functioning of the brain—which continue into a person’s mid-20s—bring about the cognitive, emotional, and social skills necessary for adolescents to survive and thrive. The nature of these rapid changes may also increase the adolescent brain’s vulnerability to alcohol exposure” (U.S. Department …

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Self-Harm Awareness Month 2024

sexual assault

By Ashley Barnes, M.S.   What is Self-Harm Awareness Month? Self-Harm Awareness Month spans the month of March with the purpose of spreading awareness, breaking the stigma, and providing support and hope to those who have or currently self-harm. Self-Harm Awareness month is observed in the United States, Canada, and parts of Western Europe.  What is self-harm? Self-harm is also known as nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Self-harm describes the act of purposely harming oneself; this act is often done by burning, cutting, pulling out hair, or picking at wounds to prevent healing. Self-harm indicates emotional distress and can lead to injury as severe as broken bones (NAMI, 2021).  Self-harm urges a need for healthier coping skills for emotional distress, and though it isn’t a mental illness in and of itself, self-harm is often associated with mental illness such as depression, trauma-related disorders, and borderline personality disorder (NAMI, 2021). It is also …

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