View the May Day Project 2020
Testimonials
-
“Another teen suicide.” Too often those words are being posted or spoken. Nearly 30 percent of children in grades 6-12 have reported being bullied and increasingly bullying is leading to suicide. More than 70 percent of teachers and students have witnessed bullying according to “The Journal of the American Medical Association.” Females in high school, […]
-
By Natalie Moore Many people still suffer and struggle in silence with mental health challenges due to lingering stigma. They don’t want to be labeled as “weak” or “crazy,” so they often retreat, feeling lost and isolated. But the truth is mental health struggles are human, not a flaw. If you’re burdened with the weight […]
-
By Mavis A. Creagh “I’m not doing well” was the phrase that kept popping into my head. I was in a state of constant “busyness” with little time to rest. Although the work was positive, I felt overwhelmed and stressed out. If this sounds familiar, here are some tips on how to slow down while […]
-
Are economic security and potential job loss concerns stressing you out? Here are some quick tips that can help you manage the uncertainty. Prioritize self-care Engage in activities that promote well-being, such as exercise, healthy eating, and sufficient sleep, as these have a positive impact on mental health. Focus on what you can control During […]
-
By Ericka Biggs I always say, “I didn’t just choose social work; it also chose me!” The love I have for mental health was inspired by my son and his continual struggles. He was diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiance disorder (ODD) at age 5, and this was challenging for me. Not only […]
-
By Mavis A. Creagh I laid my head on my desk and began to weep as tears streamed down my face. I was strong and fearless — but extremely tired. I was signed up to do just about everything, putting in 14-plus hour days on top of being a full-time single mom. However, this year, […]
-
By Kay Daneault We live in a rapidly changing world that can be complex to navigate. About half of Americans can remember a time when we were not constantly connected and could more easily tune out the noise of the world, while the younger half can’t imagine life without the internet. Modern life can significantly […]
-
By Mavis A. Creagh For many people, the pandemic caused additional stress, worry and fatigue. The number of individuals in Mississippi and nationwide who experienced mental health crises spiked tremendously. Certain demographics such as children, the elderly and those living with disabilities were at even greater risk of experiencing mental illness symptoms. Disaster, in whatever […]
-
By Laykin Register Anxious. Overwhelmed. Scared. Tired. Happy. Those are just some of the words that can describe becoming a mom. Those feelings can be heightened when it’s time to go back to work. I started a new work-from-home job one month after my baby was born, and I thought it would be so easy […]
-
Each year, one in five women in the United States has a mental health problem such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or an eating disorder. – American Psychiatric Association About 80 percent of people with eating disorders are women, which has the highest overall mortality rate of any mental illness. – Homewood Health Certain […]
-
By Debra Jackson Mental health can become a full- time job if you allow it to take a toll on you. Have you ever found yourself combating inner negative thoughts and speaking them aloud? Well, you can fix that by “catching it, checking it and changing it.” When I was in training to be a […]
-
By Tracy Daniel-Hardy Since I’ve been chronicling my caregiving journey, I have learned that many friends, co-workers, and acquaintances are caring for parents like me, or for a relative or in-law. Many have tearfully confided their feelings of loneliness and expressed their discomfort in sharing their experience with those who can’t relate. Some have shared […]
-
By Sylvia P. Brown Desmond Tutu once said, “Hope is being able to see there is light despite all of the darkness.” As someone who suffers from autoimmune diseases, chronic illnesses and mental health issues and is in recovery, I can say that hope has pulled me out of some of my darkest times and […]
-
By Jocelyn Gavin-Lane I have experienced some level of anxiety for as long as I can remember. In grade school, I recall being extra nervous at test time or when big events happened. That’s common, and in some instances, it can be classified as good anxiety. It wasn’t until my father’s death that my anxiety […]
-
By Nicole Bedsole We are our own worst critics and our own best cheerleaders. Self-esteem plays a vital role in how we see ourselves, not only when we are alone, but when we are at work or with friends and family. Wherever we go, there we are — with our self-esteem in tow. We learn […]
-
Dear parents, As I reflect on the events that led to my son’s death, I ask these questions every day: “Son, what did you want me to know? What message did you want to convey that was so difficult that at your deepest moments of pain, you could not tell me, and I could not […]
-
By Terri Brinston Parenting is hard! I remember the overwhelming fear I had when they handed me this small, fragile and delicate little baby, wrapped tightly in a thin blanket. I immediately fell in love but thought, “How do I do this?” Everything comes with an instruction manual of some sort, step-by-step directions for how […]
-
I have never been the type of person to think much of myself. I am sure I could attribute this to low self-esteem or lived experience. The thought that I could be powerful only crossed my mind while playing superheroes as a child. When I became a Peer Support specialist, I was surrounded by women […]
-
My mental health struggle I was an overachiever in an attempt to please my parents. I studied all night, worked harder than the rest and completed tasks that seemed unattainable. I was an expert shooter and basic training’s most improved soldier. With five sons, a new art gallery, post-partum depression and the effects of Hurricane Katrina, […]
-
My mental health struggle When I was 8, I was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder. That was a struggle growing up, besides being the daughter of a single mother and being misunderstood as a child. It was very frustrating and caused a lot of insecurities that carried over to adulthood. I struggled with paying attention, […]
-
My mental health struggle For years, I kept a blog where I spoke about “a girl” with mental illness. Back then, I was too ashamed to admit how sick I was to anyone other than my psychiatrist and therapist. Even my husband and children, who saw me daily, did not know the true hurricane in […]
