May has been busy for the HRH & Associates team. We have been working tirelessly with clients and their families all over the country and abroad. I was finally able to visit a long-standing client in London, whom we've been supporting remotely throughout the past year. It was wonderful to reconnect in person.
Our other news this month is that we are hosting a free 16-hour trauma transport training workshop on June 23rd and 24th. For those interested in attending, please email lissa@heatherhayes.com for more information. Spaces are limited, so please let us know as soon as possible.
Wishing you all a happy and safe month ahead,
Monthly Blog Round-Up
The following is a round-up of our monthly blogs in case you missed any on our social media pages.
Smartphones and Mental Health
A recent study found that Americans touch their smartphones more than 2,600 times a day on average with a daily screen time of 2.42 hours over 76 separate sessions. For the top 10% of users, interactions doubled to 5,427 touches a day with a screen time of 3.75 hours and 132 sessions. At what point does smartphone use become problematic and affect our mental health?
Suicidal ideation among adults is increasing. An additional 460,000 people reported experiencing serious thoughts of suicide, which is an increase of 0.15%. A recent report demonstrates how the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected American adults’ suicidal ideation; over 178,000 people have reported frequent suicidal ideation since March 2020. 37% of these people reported having thoughts of suicide nearly every day.
Eco-Anxiety stems from a feeling of helplessness. Our existential fears are brought to the forefront, and anxieties increase alongside the belief that we can do little to prevent environmental catastrophe. We are all familiar with the potential impacts of climate change, however, we may not be so familiar with the impact that climate change is having on mental health.
Forgiveness can be an important step in healing and moving on with our lives after someone has done us harm. However, forgiveness, as it is commonly conceived, is not always possible or even appropriate. Survivors of childhood abuse, sexual or physical abuse, or other highly traumatic experiences could cause themselves substantial harm trying to forgive their offender.
This month, it gives us great pleasure to introduce another fabulous member of the Heather R. Hayes team. Haley Hill, our Clinical Coordinator, works with families on their first calls with the team and then supports them throughout their journeys with HRH.
Idaho teacher disarmed school shooter and hugged her until help arrived Associated Press in Rigby, Idaho
Krista Gneiting said she was trying to help one of the students who had been shot when she saw the girl holding the gun.
When a student opened fire at an Idaho middle school, teacher Krista Gneiting directed children to safety, rushed to help a wounded victim and then calmly disarmed the sixth-grade shooter, hugging and consoling the girl until police arrived.
Photographs depict the stark reality of addiction in US
by Emily Dinsdale
Drug addiction in the US is at a critical point. Last year, 81,000 died as a result of drug overdoses in America, let alone the countless other lives capsized by addiction or proximity to addiction.
The majority are casualties of the devastating opioid crisis, but other potentially lethal and addictive drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, K2, crystal meth, and cocaine are also rife on the streets.
