Mental health is a part of our lives and impacts each and every one of us at some point yet so many are afraid to talk about it. This is unfortunate since getting help can literally be a lifesaving decision. The road may be long but things do get better and there is hope. Mental health challenges can occur to anyone who has experienced loss or any other traumatic event, has felt isolated or depressed, had thoughts of suicide, feared failure, been bullied, felt the sting of racism, homophobia, sexism, or xenophobia, faced unfair immigration policies, etc. There are those with lived experience who may have been diagnosed with a major mental health condition and struggled to get their life together. It is important for everyone to remember that this does not mean a person cannot be competent or even gifted but failure to get proper treatment or being shunned by others can rob them of their dignity and hinders their ability of reaching their full potential. NAAPIMHA and CoffeeWithJR continue to work with our partners to raise awareness around mental health on college campuses through our Friends DO make a difference campaign.
We also work closely with Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders serving organizations to train Wellness Coaches to help community members make healthy decisions. This is done through NAAPIMHA’s Achieving Whole Health initiative which recognizes the relationship between physical health and mental health. Welook forward to partnering with you on either of these or other projects.
Addressing mental health is a year round process. You don’t have to use the language of mental health per se to have a positive impact on our emotional wellbeing. Anything you do to fight racism, xenophobia, homophobia, or sexism, or address fair immigration policies, housing, education, the environment, employment, health care, public safety…..counts.
Social justice is a mental health issue. Take care of yourself, exercise, eat well, be with a friend, be a friend, listen, ask for help, learn something new, take a nap, take chances…be good to yourself and others.
VOTE – Supporting decision makers who work to make this a better country for all, not just a privileged few or those who wish to deny the rights of others is important. This too is mental health.
If you are interested in our training services, please contact JR Kuo at coffeewithjrkuo@gmail.com
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