bipolar planet This community is for individuals who are bipolar and/or have a loved one that is bipolar.
My Tears Are Real This community is for all personal mental health websites.
Gift of Plurality Community This community is for multiples (persons living with Dissociative Identity Disorder, aka Multiple Personality Disorder) and/or related dissociative conditions, and for their supporters. Sites should focus on the *positive* aspects of being gifted with multiple selves. If your site is more focused on the actual experience of abuse or trauma, please consult CommunitySurf's search engine for a more appropriate community.
Piece of Mind Our everyday challenges. A positive, creative look inside of individuals mental illnesses.
the alt.support.depression community The alt.support.depression community is open to posters and lurkers of the alt.support.depression heirarchy of newsgroups, including, but not limited to: alt.support.depression, alt.support.depression.recovery, alt.support.depression.recovery.sanctuary, alt.support.depression.teen, and even alt.support.depression.flame! :) {;}as well as the a.s.d related IRC channels (#freeasd, #kleenexasd and #grinchasd - if anybody goes there anymore!). {;}{;}Sites do not need to be concerned with depression in order to join the asd community, but their webmasters do :)
Finnish Depression Blogs Community of Finnish depression blogs, suomalaisten depressioblogien rinki
Got Bipolar? Bipolar? Let's take the stigma out of this together.
Creative Healing Poetry and artwork are excellent tools in walking a healing path for those dealing with abuse and mental health issues. This community is for websites that have poetry and artwork on them. We welcome those dealing with any abuse issues or mental health issues.
Hopeworks this community is composed of sites dealing with bipolar disorder and recovery. Includes information for both consumers and family.
Schizophrenia A community for websites concerned with schizophrenia and related mental disorders.
CommunitySurf Schizophrenia Homepages For people with schizophrenia or familys friends who are caretakers. Homepages of your experiences, journals, and any pages related to schizophrnia at a personal level is welcome.
Borderline Community Borderline is een community met sites gerelateerd aan borderline. Met informatieve, leuke en diepgaande sites. Persoonlijke verhalen, informatie, therapievormen en meer.
RITUAL ABUSE HOTLINE This site is dedicated to support, intervention and information for victims / survivors of ritual abuse: spiritual, mental, Cemotional and physical abuse practiced in ritualistic settings or manner.
(Ritual: an oft-repeated action or series of actions performed in accordance with tradition or a set of rules.)
Shy A community for sites related to social anxiety, social phobia and shyness.
Against stigma: advocating for a better mental health system This community is composed of sites that in some way address the issue of stigma and the importance of advocacy and reforming the mental health system as well as the public perception of those with mental health issues
Maintaining Good
Mental Health
Our mental health
is something that is often taken for granted. We focus so much of our energy on
ways to take care of our physical help that we neglect something as important
as our sanity. Most people think that mental health refers to those that are
‘off their rocker’ or ‘nuts’ but in truth, we are all at risk of suffering from
some sort of a mental disorder. As a matter of fact, statistics show that
almost 1 in every 4 adults suffers from some form of a mental disorder.
Mental disorders can include anything from depression and
anxiety to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. There is a misconception that
these things happen only to those who are weak while some believe that there is
nothing you can do to prevent or control mental disorders when that cannot be
farther from the truth! As mentioned, NO ONE is immune to suffering some sort
of a mental health crisis and while some things may be beyond your control,
there are things that you can do in your life to help you maintain a good
mental health.
Taking care of your overall health is important since being
ill can definitely impact your mental state. Exercise has also proven essential
as a part of good mental health and in the treatment of depression, anxiety and
stress because it releases serotonin—the ‘feel good’ hormone—into your system.
That state that they call a ‘runner’s high’ actually refers to the euphoric
effect that this process has on your mind and body. It is also a way that helps
you gain control of your body which can really impact your self esteem and
overall mood.
One of the biggest problems when it comes to the most common
mental disorder, depression, is our lack of knowledge. Most people don’t know
what the signs are or how to spot the difference between a little case of the
blues or clinical depression. Understanding the difference and knowing the red
flags could save you or a loved one a lot of suffering! A constant feeling or
sadness or hopelessness that lasts more than a few days needs to be taken seriously
and looked into by a doctor. A loss of interest in the activities that you once
loved is another red flag as is apathy and not wanting to get out of bed and
face the day. There are even physical symptoms that could indicate a problem
with your mental health. Panic and anxiety attacks have symptoms that closely
mimic a heart attack; rapid heart rate, sweating, tightness in chest, the
shakes.
The stigma attached to mental health problems has a lot to
do with why so many of us are in denial about the fact that it can happen to
anyone of us at anytime and stops us from getting the help we need when it
arises. Let go of your hang ups and misconceptions, get educated and know the
signs so that you and your loved ones are better prepared for any challenges that
may come your way.
