Blog

Soon opening in Santa Fé, NM

We are based out of Houston, TX, and we serve some of our services nationwide, but because of the law, we currently aren’t able too. The paperwork required to file with the State of New Mexico has been approved, and we are seeking to begin conducting business in Santa Fé by May 15, 2023. Any and all tax-deductible contributions are greatly appreciated as they help us continue and expand our mission of “Providing pathway of recovery to all, while combating the stigma of mental health through education and inspiration.”

We are the difference who will make a difference.

KINDLY CONSIDER CONTRIBUTING HERE!

We are now offering AfterPay and more for services that aren’t covered or can’t be afforded

Effective tomorrow, we will begin accepting AfterPay, Klarna, ACH, Link, Google Pay, Apple Pay, all major credit cards, PayPal, Cash App, and Venmo as forms of payment methods for services. AfterPay and Klarna are a way for those who can’t afford to cover the full amount to pay in 4 installments interest free. We will still continue covering the costs of services for those deemed eligible. Please be advised that in order to receive services for a lower price, your Applicant Request Form for Assistance must be approved which can be found at www.NAMHSAR.org/forms-and-resources. Please email the completed form to info@NAMHSAR.org.

Self-Care Saturdays

Taking #Selfcare days are vital for a variety of reasons including getting a chance to recharge and prevent burnout. I have put a #selfcaresaturdays activity selections list for you while keeping in mind to include some things that are free of charge. As these are just suggestions, feel free to comment your self-care activities.

There are countless activities you can do to take care of yourself, and a lot of them don’t have to involve other people. As I said the other day, there is no scientific evidence the brain 🧠 gets bored. I gave a scenario of you telling your child to go practice being bored for 15 minutes and come back and tell you what happened. Of course, that would be in response to them complaining your bored. The brain is an extraordinary imaginative organ that makes us the humans we are. If we think about it, we can make an attempt to do it.

Ayer, veo què genté de México 🇲🇽. Tomé cinco años de clases de Español en escuela segundario pero no me recuerdo mucho por qué 34 años ahora

Esta en mi calendario practicar màs, y tengo empleados que hablan la lenguaje.

-Dr. Quincy D. Citizen, Ph.D.

© National Alliance for Mental Health & Substance Abuse Recovery. 2023.

Giving Thanks

Each Christmas, we host an event where we collect monetary donations to make goodie bags for those doing an inpatient stay at an area psychiatric hospital.

This year, I’d like to host a Thanksgiving event where we have people write words of encouragement, hope, and inspiration.

The only outside contact these patients have is via phone as visitation has been halted until further notice due to COVID. Many of us know how difficult it can be to be separated from family especially during the holidays.

Please comment your posts below, and they will be printed on cards that will be delivered to Kingwood Pines Hospital on Thanksgiving. Kingwood Pines sees all ages of patients beginning at the age of 5.

A couple inspirational words or words of hope of kindness can go further than you think.

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

Facts About Suicide:

-Females are more likely (2x as likely) to attempt suicide, while males are more likely to succeed at dying by suicide. This has to do with the preferred method(s) used to make the attempt.

-Suicide is almost always preventable.

-Those experiencing suicidal thoughts/ideation almost always reach out to someone prior to making an attempt on their life.

-22 veterans die by suicide everyday.

-Suicide rates are on the increase, and there is interest in a possible correlation of suicide rates and mass shooting rates.

-There has been an increase in suicide in those in young adulthood (18-25y/o).

⚠️ Warning Signs ⚠️

-Talks about wanting to die or threatens suicide.
-Exhibits changes in behavior, appearance, and/or mood.
-Abuses drugs/alcohol.
-Deliberately injures themselves (though most of those who self-harm are NOT suicidal).
-Looking for a way to kill oneself, such as searching online or buying a gun.
-Talking about feeling trapped or in unbearable pain.
-Talking about being a burden to others.
-Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs.
-Acting anxious or agitated; behaving recklessly.
-Sleeping too little or too much.
-Withdrawing or feeling isolated.
-Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge.
-Displaying extreme mood swings.

How Can You Help?

-Stay calm and listen.
-Let them talk about their feelings.
-Be accepting & don’t judge.
-Ask if they have/are experiencing suicidal thoughts/ideation.
-Take threats seriously.
-Don’t swear secrecy: Tell someone and encourage them to reach out to someone.
-Report a suicidal individual to someone trained and equipped to assist such as a suicide/crisis helpline, crisis prevention center, or any other mental health provider.
Call (or assist them in doing so) our suicide/crisis helpline at 844.341.8612 or call/text 281.397.3916.

Our suicide helpline counselors go through a minimum of 4 certification courses pertaining to suicide and crisis intervention. They are equipped with resources to reference, utilize assessments and tools to measure the severity/likelihood of suicidal attempts, as well as have access to a nationwide database of facilities to refer callers/texters to when an alternate level of care is needed.

If you think someone may be going through a difficult time, reach out to them. You could save a life.

NAMHSAR’s Dr. Citizen & BCM’s Dr. Shah Discuss Suicide with Fox News Reporter Isiah Carey

5 Questions to ask yourself dailly

“We are more vulnerable than we ever though, but we are stronger than we ever imagined.”

1. What has been better about today than yesterday?

2. What was the best thing to occur in your life over this past week?

3. What do you believe has been your biggest strength?

4. Going forward, what are 2 changes you feel may be beneficial to your progress/growth?

5. Who/What are you most grateful for about this week? Why?

Emotional Intelligence

Managing emotions does not always come natural and often takes discipline and practice.

Emotional Intelligence
-Are you usually aware of your feelings, and do you understand why you feel that way?

-Are you aware of your limitations, blind spots,and areas of growth?

-When faced with distressing emotions and conflict, are you able to quickly recover after you work through it?

-Do you have the capacity to feel or understand what another person is experiencing? within his/her frame of reference?

-Do you choose to live each day by having a positive attitude and seeing the glass half full?

-Are you comfortable with who you are regardless of if anyone is stroking your ego?

The 4 C’s to Achieving your goal/potential

Courage– When presented with change, we often respond with fear. Though thing are always changing, fear is the initial instinctive response, likely because not only do we tend to be creatures of habit, but the unknown is scary. We are wired to get through, and when we begin preparing ourselves and developing a plan to get through the situation, we have a difficulty and feel inability because that fearfulness takes over as the norepinephrine begins pumping send us into “fight or flight” mode, hindering our cognition and often judgment. This can make if very difficult for many to muster up the courage to take the necessary changes that will lead to change/growth. The hindrance, if given into, prevents us from eve know what change may bring because we simply have never tried it. The only solution to progressing through our journey is to overcome the fear, embrace acceptance and allow things to happen. Without change, we essentially become stagnant, and that does not make us feel very well. Change is one of the few things that remain constant, so afford yourself the opportunity of not resisting and focus on the growth you aspire to attain.

Commitment– Once you have been able to bring yourself to a place where you can accept the change that needs to take place, you’re going to need to continue bringing your way through it. It is a process. Just as it took time to get where you are, it is going to take time to get where you are going. It’s not going to happen in one, two, or three events. It is natural and part of the process to feel like giving up at times during the process you endure the uncomfortable feelings that arise. REmind yourself that you made a commitment and why you made the commitment. You have already put too much into your efforts to not persist to the in order to get to the place where your aspired goals await.

Compassion-No one is harder on yourself than you are. Sometimes, we are harder on ourselves as a result of our past, current, or present environment, and after all it has become second nature. That is a critical component when you speak to yourself. You must speak to yourself using kindness, understand, grace, and truth. You will realize that most of the negative self-talk can be resisted as there’s nothing to substantiate most of it. You’re reacting in a way that is likely the only way your body knows as an attempt to help. There is often constructive criticism that can be taken when this happens which allows you to ponder on what it is that is practical and can be worked on in order to improve throughout your process while still being kind to yourself and understanding that you are human, and you make mistakes, but you also have the drive to do better. This is value. Overall, it is the key of progression in our growth.

Consistency-Lastly, we must not only be consistent in our efforts but also in focusing on reaching the point of achievement that you have been after this entire time.Again, we are humans are creatures of habit, and though it can have its downfalls,it also allows us to go into “auto-pilot” in a sense after a while and creates a tendency of the same actions to occur at the same time everything or the same place,time, place, fashion, etc. This is beneficial as it will ease the mental strain on focusing so intensely on how to reach that destination and pull our head above the water. Research indicates it takes 21 days for the human brain to be rewired. That means it also takes 21 days to kick a habit and develop new healthier habits.

This is a universal theory that can be applied to any person goal or potential for growth, and all it takes is your effort, even if enlisting someone to assist is necessary. It is still you that has achieved your desired potential of growth. After that, you celebrate by playing in the ra and jumping in the puddles of water!

About Us

NAMHSAR, a 501(c)(3) mental health organization established in 2015. is based in Houston, TX, but serves nationwide. We provide immediate psychological first aid to those in need and/or experiencing a psychiatric crisis. Our network of national mental healthcare facilities can provide our patients with free or low cost services today. Additional services include Prescription Assistance Program, Disaster Relief Counseling/treatment, Emotional Support Animals (ESA’s) Service Dog, and Therapy Dog registration program,, counseling, psychiatry, TeleMedicine, Homeless Outreach Program, TeleMental Heath, an Initial Visit Coverage Program, Social Services Assistance Application, a free Narcan (naloxone HCl), Distribution Program, anonymous online support groups and forums, anonymous layperson counseling, Schizophrenics Anonymous and Related Disorders Support Groups, a Veteran’s Assistance Program, a nationwide suicide hotline that may be called or texted, Tobacco Cessation Counseling, advocacy and education, court ordered courses and personal wellness courses, preparation and motorizations of Living Wills/Medical POA’s/Advanced Directives. We specialize in treating patients who are uninsured, underinsured, and/or reside close to the poverty line. Our mission is “providing a pathway of recovery to all, while combating the stigma of mental health through education and inspiration.”

We heavily rely on donors to continue to achieve our mission statement. Please consider supporting our efforts today by making a tax deductible contribution here.

Many employers have Employee Matching Programs which allows our donors to double their donation. To find out if your employer offers this program, please click here.

Free Narcan

Due to recent changes in Texas law, we have been granted authorization to distribute Narcan (naloxone). Naloxone is a drug, previously only available through prescription, which reverses the effects of opioid overdose. Opioids include drugs such as heroin, morphine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, and codeine. Symptoms of opioid overdose include respiratory depression (slow and/or shallow breathing), cyanosis (bluing of the skin), and hypoxia (lack of adequate oxygen). Naloxone must be administered quickly after an overdose becomes apparent. We will distribute naloxone to heavy opioid users or family members or friends of heavy opioid users. Contact us so we can get your information and discuss the potential side effects.

 

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