Purple Lotus Counseling, LLC

Gratitude Weekend: MHAM!
As we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month, we are resharing a post from last year, about the words we use when talking about mental health!

NAMI shared a wonderful post a while ago on how the language we use impacts our understanding of mental health. Their post discussed how often people say that someone “committed” su***de. People who are hurting, struggling, wanting to end the hurt do not “commit” su***de, they die. Other things to avoid would be “completed su***de,” “successful su***de,” or “failed attempt at su***de.”
“People can die from the unbearable weight of life, people can die from broken hearts, and people can die from not understanding how to navigate a complicated mental health system. People do not, however, commit su***de. Su***de is not a crime. People die by su***de.”
This got us to thinking about the other forms of language we use when discussing mental health, and the changes we can make. A common discussion is how people avoid the word su***de for fear of “encouraging” someone who is hurting (often young individuals), to die by su***de. This is a myth. In fact, if we’re more open about the topic, the understanding of others' fear and support is more likely to diminish it.
The same goes for putting a label on an individual struggling with mental illness. Someone who is battling a mental illness (i.e. depression) is not “a depressed person,” they are, “a person with depression.” Their mental illness does NOT encompass who they are as a person.

Gratitude Weekend is back!
Took a small break from our gratitude weekends to focus on the changing of the seasons and catching up in other areas of life.

Today's Gratitude activity is focused on simple meaningful ways we can encourage children to practice gratitude. Check out this short clip on negative thoughts replaced by positive thoughts!

*Tip: this works for adults too, give it a try!*

Mental Health Center Kids 56 likes. "Ways To Practice Gratitude #5 Replace A Negative Thought With A Grateful Thought "