Monday 20 October 2014

Knives in My Throat: Documentary About a Black Woman, Bipolar Disorder &...





I came across a wonderful PSA from Abiola Abrams on Youtube and I felt it important to share some of her work…

The full title is "Knives in My Throat: The Year I Survived When My Mind Tried to Kill Me." Taqiyya lived in Harlem, NY at the time and her family lived in Long Island. She was 25 when this film was made and is now in her 30s, happy and healthy with a family of her own. This is a film about race, class, family, mental health awareness and removing taboos.

Documentary Episode 1: http://youtu.be/xeg0FKH-Rhc

Documentary Episode 2: An Important movie about depression, suicide, love, survival and family. | Abiola Abrams worked with her to find healing and reduce stigmas around depression and mental illness in African Americans using drama therapy and spoken word poetry as a healing tool. The first film to address mental health for black women in the hip hop generation.

Trigger warning. Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline



Find more at: http://AbiolaTV.com


Monday 13 October 2014

Time to Change: When mental health meets Black and Minority Ethnic issues in the media


Mental health problem + Black or Minority Ethnic background = negative coverage in the media? News reports featuring people with this combination of background and experience can often be quite negative. Why is this? Does it increase the stigma? Do features in the media on mental health include a diverse enough range of voices? Time to Change, the anti-stigma campaign run by the UK’s two largest mental health charities, Mind and Rethink Mental Illness, is holding an exclusive free event for print and broadcast journalists, and factual TV/radio producers in central London.

This event will help you understand the impact your work can have on Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) people with mental health problems and their friends, families and employers too. There’ll be examples of good practice, and advice on how to uncover hidden stories. Issues that will be covered include why news reports about BME people with mental health issues tend to be negative and how we can change that, how newspaper stories, documentaries and TV news features on mental health affect different communities, why BME celebrity role models rarely speak out about mental health in the media, and how to find news stories and gain the trust of different communities.

An expert panel will include Nina Hossain from ITV News, Kunal Dutta from The Independent, Eddie Nestor from BBC London 94.9, and George Ruddock from The Voice. The panel will also be joined by a Time to Change media volunteer from a BME background with lived experience of mental health problems. They will give their view on how the media covers these issues and what it is like to share your personal story in the press. After the panel debate, there will be time for questions from the audience followed by a chance to network over drinks and sandwiches.

It takes place on Tuesday 14 October, at BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP. Registartion opens at11.30am with the debate and Q&A at 12-1.30pm. More information about Time to Change can be found at www.time-to-change.org.uk

Sunday 12 October 2014

Get Outside




To mark the end of our World Mental Health Day 2014 campaign The Amalgamation Project and Innovation Factory in collaboration with Luvneandmy will be hosting a picnic today October 12th from 5:30pm

“If there’s one antidote to emotional distress, it’s human connection. We’re a species that’s meant to be with others.” Kit Yarrow. 


FIRST 30 PPL RECEIVE FRESH JUICE FROM Simply Green



Need A Ride? Use the Promo Code UBERLAGOSMHD and receive 2 Free rides (up to N3000)! Uber. There will also be a raffle for all attendees. The winner (random drawing) will get 1 day of Free Uber rides and Uber swag.



See You There!!!!
‪#‎YogaPicnicMHD‬
‪#‎luvmeandmyMHD‬
‪#‎ifactoryngMHD‬

Saturday 11 October 2014

Your Diet & Your Mind With Sasa's Kitchen




The role our diets play in promoting good mental health is often over shadowed by the emphasis currently place on  prescription (or self) medication and to a lesser extent counselling. Having a balanced diet does wonders for improving behavioural and emotional cognition.

Sasa's Kitchen provides innovative ideas to traditional African cuisine. They have a penchant for using healthy, fresh and non GMO produce. Saratu Bantu the lead chef talks through her experiences with the topic of mental health and shares an easy recipe for our readers to recreate at home.

Mental illness is something we don't discuss where I come from. It is something other people have; it is not an African illness. One isn't allowed to feel sad or down let alone display mental illness. "What do you have to be sad about when you have more than most people in the country?" You will find people asking especially the older folks. "You have God by your side, no weapons fashioned against you shall prosper, amen", they continue. "Ah! I didn't hear you say amen", they frown.

Friday 10 October 2014

10 secrets to success with Effa Management



 1) How you think is everything. Think success not failure, what you are trying to achieve is to teach your mind how to seek the positive and not negative from every situation. "If you can control it then do it and if you cant control it then change your attitude towards it.

 2) Decide your true dreams and goals. A new years resolution that you don't write down is just a dream. Writing it down starts the plan. Dreams + A Written Plan= Step 3

 3) Take Action. A plan is nothing if it just sits there catching dust. Put it in to action, take control of your goals and aspirations. Do nothing and you will stay the same as you were yesterday and the day before and the day before that.

Thursday 9 October 2014

Uber + Sound Mind Africa Raising Mental Health Awareness with Bizzle



Laughter is said to be the best medicine and this Mental Health Day, a global initiative to highlight the often-stigmatized issues surrounding mental health, Uber Lagos is teaming up with Sound Mind Africa and Bizzle to raise awareness with a double dose of it.

Laughter has been well documented for its role in positively promoting mental health through the reduction of stress and anxiety. Taking laughter as the basis of our intervention, Sound Mind Africa has collaborated with Uber Lagos and popular personality Bizzle Osikoya to run the “Uber Lagos MHD” competition.

How to Enter: 
• Download and register the Uber app on your device then enter the promo code: UBERLAGOSMHD

• Hashtag your Video #UberLagosMHD, follow and tag @uberlagos

• Upload your 15 second video to instagram by OCT 10th at 12PM

• Videos will be reposted on OCT 10th 2014 via http://instagram.com/bizzleo1and the winner with the most likes selected by 5pm

The participant whose post has the most likes will win ONE-WEEK worth of FREE Uber rides. 


All new Uber account holders will be eligible for a free ride (up to N3,000) with UBERLAGOSMHD promo code. 

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Sound Mind Africa World Mental Health Day Campaign 2014






World Mental Health Day is the annual global celebration of mental health education, awareness and advocacy, taking place on the 10th October 2014.

In order to help spread the mental health message, Sound Mind Africa are staging an interdisciplinary campaign to engage the general public through a variety of interventions taking place online and within Lagos.  Founder Oyindamola Fakeye describes the basis of this initiative as “An opportunity to provide a synergistic delivery of this important issue.”

1. #uberlagosMHD
2. #BrainFoodMHD
3. #MotivatedMHD
4. #RetailtherapyMHD
5. #Eden MHD
6. #HealthyspacesMHD
7. #YogaPicnicMHD
#luvmeandmyMHD
#ifactoryngMHD
8. #DanceMHD

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Mental Health and the Church



Faith is a key factor in many people's lives and is found in almost all cultures in Africa and as such leaders within religious organisations are often sought out to provide various levels of counselling and support. 

On Friday, October 10, 2014 (World Mental Health Day), Rick and Kay Warren will host “24 Hours of Hope,” a free global online event designed to encourage individuals living with a mental illness, educate and support their families, and equip church leaders for compassionate and effective mental health ministry.

The “24 Hours of Hope” broadcast features messages from the historic Gathering on Mental Health and the Church (including additional new interviews and messages) from over 30 speakers. These messages are designed to offer hope as well as practical tools to those living with depression, Bipolar Disorder, eating disorders, addictions, anxiety, and Borderline Personality Disorder. Topics include removing stigma, suicide-risk reduction, church counseling, support groups, crisis management, and holistic care.



http://mentalhealthandthechurch.com

Monday 6 October 2014

Living With a Black Dog





As we edge closer to Mental Health Day 2014 its important to highlight some of the important issues surrounding Mental Health, one such issue being that of depression.



Depression is a state many can relate to either in small doses and in some cases much more acute episodes. At times we do not know what the best course of action is when we are faced with or are living with someone who is battling through it. The World Health Organisation has developed a simple yet informative guide to offer some assistance.