Decompressing After The Holidays: Helpful Resources

The start of a new year is a time of excitement celebration and joy for many people.  It is also a time of stress associated with holiday shopping, decorating and event planning from the weeks before – or even grief and loneliness.

However, while nearly everyone is dealing with some added stress after the holidays, people with mental illness may be especially vulnerable and  have difficulty accessing resources and services that could help them.

At AstraZeneca, we understand how important support can be for patients, as well as their families. That is why we support programs designed to help people living with mental illness as well as their caregivers. It is through partnerships with non-profit organizations that AstraZeneca can continue to contribute to programs that are designed to help ensure the supportive mental health services that patients need are available and accessible to them.

• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (www.dbsalliance.org ) is a leading patient-directed national organization focusing on mental illnesses.
   
  
• Families for Depression Awareness (www.familyaware.org ) helps families recognize and cope with depressive disorders to get people well and prevent suicides.


• Mental Health America (www.nmha.org ) is dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives..


• National Alliance on Mental Illness (www.nami.org) supports public efforts focused on educating America about mental illness, offering resources to those in need, and insisting that mental illness become a high national priority.


• National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (www.thenationalcouncil.org ) serves more than 6 million adults and children with mental illnesses and addiction disorders..


• The Jed Foundation (www.jedfoundation.org ) is the leading nonprofit organization working to reduce the rate of suicide and the prevalence of emotional distress among college students..

At www.FacingBipolar.com, you can learn more about bipolar depression and download useful tools like a mood diary and medication tracker.

All of these programs are important resources but the most important resource is your healthcare professional who can discuss the most appropriate care for your individual needs.

Best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.