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TRANSCRIPT
MYTH BUSTING:
Breaking Down the Facts about Mental Wellness
May 9th, 2018
Welcome!
Presenter:
Jennifer Magdits, LMHCCounselor
NYC EAP
Moderator:
Marissa Frieder, MPHProgram Coordinator
WorkWell NYC
WorkWell NYC
WorkWell NYC seeks to create workplaces that help our employees live
healthy, active lifestyles, and to provide health and well-being services,
programs, and resources at the worksite and beyond.
What do you think of when you hear
the term “mental illness”?
Think for a second…
• Psycho
• Crazy
• “Those people” are not like me
Myth #1
• MYTH: Mental health conditions are rare
• FACT: 1 in 5 people are affected by mental health conditions each year
What is a mental health condition?
A mental health condition:
• Affects a person’s thinking, feeling, or mood
• Affects a person’s ability to relate to others and function
Myth #2
• MYTH: Anxiety isn’t a real illness
• FACT: Anxiety is a real, treatable, mental health condition
Anxiety
• The most common mental health condition
• 40 million adults (18% of the population)
• Tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like high blood pressure and headaches
• Not always bad!
Myth #3
• MYTH: People who say they are depressed can just snap out of it with positive thinking
• FACT: Depression is a lot more than feeling sad, or being in a “funk”
• 16 million people live with major depression
• Depression can cause feelings of:• Sadness
• Changes in sleep and/or appetite
• Lack of concentration
• Loss of energy
• Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Physical aches
• Suicidal thoughts
• It can be triggered by a crisis, or nothing at all • Situational or biological
Depression
• MYTH: People with mental health conditions cannot hold down jobs and are prone to violence
• FACT: People with mental health conditions are just as productive as other employees, if they are addressing their condition
• FACT: Having a mental health condition does not make a person more likely to be violent or dangerous
Myth #4
Myth #5
• MYTH: People addicted to substances like drugs and alcohol can stop whenever they want
• FACT: Addiction is an enduring condition that triggers the user to compulsively search out and use substances
Why do we have all of these myths about mental health?
STIGMA
Mental Illness: What You See and What You Don't See
Video can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54sDdNa9vek
Produced by: Put Up Your Dukes Foundation and Neinstein & Associates
• Stigma is one of the greatest barriers to mental health treatment
• “Double edged sword”
• Internal stigmaA person’s own sense of shame
• External stigma
What peers, family, and society think
Stigma
Problems caused by stigma
• A lack of understanding by your peers, family, and society
• Difficulty finding work, housing, social activities
• Health insurance that doesn’t cover mental health conditions
• Bullying and harassment
• A person’s own belief that they will never be normal or okay
• A reluctance to get help
How do we fight it?
• Talk openly about mental health
• Do more than talk – educate!
• Be conscious of your language
• Don’t use words like: crazy, psycho, lunatic
• Instead of: “She’s bipolar”, say: “She has bipolar disorder”
How do we fight it?
• Show empathy and concern for someone that is struggling
• Push back against the way mental health conditions are portrayed in the media
• Encourage equality
• Advocate for mental health reform
Myth #6
• MYTH: People can’t really recover from a mental health condition
• FACT: Today, there are many different ways to treat mental health conditions
Treatment Options
• Individual therapy
• Family therapy
• Group therapy
• Medication
• Inpatient treatment
• Outpatient treatment
• Supportive counseling • Family
• Friends
• Faith-based leaders
• 12 step meetings
NYC Employee Assistance Program
• EAP can provide:
• education
• information
• supportive counseling
• individualized assessments
• referrals for appropriate care
• workplace programming
• Open to NYC employees and their families
• Free and confidential
• Excused absence - CityTime
Contact the EAP:
• 250 Broadway, 28th floor
• 212-306-7660
Resources
• NYC Well:
• Call 888-NYC-WELL (888-692-9355)
• Text WELL to 65173
• Visit nyc.gov/nycwell to chat online
• Emblem GHI CBP: 800-692-2492
• Emblem HIP HMO: 888-447-2526
• NYC Health Benefits Program:
• nyc.gov/hbp
Resources
• DC 37 Personal Services Unit:
• 212-815-1260
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI):
• 800-950-NAMI(6264) | [email protected]
• WorkWell NYC:
• nyc.gov/workwellnyc
Thanks for attending!
Questions? Use the chat box on the
right side of your screen.
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survey to share your feedback on today’s webinar:
bit.ly/May9webinar
Save the date! Please join us for our next webinar
on the importance of sleep, May 23rd at 12:30pm!