Meinders Community Library

This month, I’m going to talk about mental health victories and milestones.  Acknowledging and celebrating these successes, both big and small, can boost confidence, increase motivation, and reinforce positive behavior.  These could be significant achievements, like therapy completion or time without self harm, or small, every day achievements, like getting out of bed, completing daily tasks, or practicing self care.

There are several ways to acknowledge and celebrate the different milestones and victories related to your mental health and well-being.  You can keep a journal: Write down your thoughts, feelings, and daily wins to track your progress.  Share the joy with others: Tell a trusted friend, a family member, or your counselor about your victory.  Reward yourself: Use positive reinforcement, like a small treat or fun activity to celebrate your progress.  Focus on the positive: Actively recognize your abilities and celebrate your progress, which can help combat negative thought patterns and build your self-esteem.

As I cruise through my mental health journey, it doesn’t come without winding roads, wrong turns, dead ends and detours.  That’s why I make it a priority to celebrate achievements along the way.  This month, I will recognize three successes in my journey.  The first being six months free of self harm.  It’s not something I am proud to admit, but I am definitely proud to have made it half a year without cutting.  The second being survival.  Six years ago, I was severely depressed and tried to end my life.  I have LIVED six years after wanting not to.  And even though I am thriving now, it isn’t always easy.  I fight like crazy every single day to stay functioning and to make it another day.  And that brings me to my third success.  Counseling.  Three years strong with appointments to help me along the way.  What started out as a weekly session, is now a monthly check in.  I am strong enough to know, that if something feels off or if I start to regress, I make my appointments closer together.  Had I known years ago that talking to a complete stranger and taking some medication could make me feel better, I would have done it much sooner!  That is what makes everyone’s mental health journey very different and very unpredictable.  Ebbs and flows.  Ups and downs.  Wrong turns and detours.

So, how do I celebrate these achievements during my journey?  That depends on the individual success.  I’ve come far enough in my journey to acknowledge yearly events.  But with my self harm starting from zero on May 1st, I acknowledge one month at a time until I reach one year, and then yearly after that.  It’s kind of like those workplace signs that say “It has been X amount of days since our last accident” that hang by the timeclock.  I’ve learned that taking things one day at a time is all I can do to achieve forward progress.  And if I regress or have a relapse, I pick myself up and start over again.  Yearly treats to celebrate my victories are a must!  Whether it be a sweet treat or a self-care outing, it is well deserved for my achievement!

Journaling is also a big part of my celebrations and healing.  Good or bad, I try to write a couple sentences about my day in a notebook.  This also helps me when I see my counselor and I can fill them in on my ups and downs since our previous session.  It can establish patterns of emotions and the what, when, and why it was happening.  That way, I can look back and work on different coping skills and figure out what works best for me when it happens again.

So, whether you journal, share your joy, or reward yourself, every achievement is a victory and should be celebrated!  It is kind of like having more than one birthday a year!  Six years ago I started over and I mark the yearly milestone by sharing my joy and accomplishments with others, and also enjoying a sweet treat. I also have a rockstar library squad that cheers me on along the way!

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe!  ~Sally~

World Mental Health Day brings our community together to break the silence around mental health. On October 10, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) invites you to be part of a global conversation to raise awareness and advocate for mental health care worldwide. It’s our moment to share stories, advocate for change, and ensure quality mental health care reaches everyone.

When communities unite—advocates, providers, families, and individuals—we create real change. Together, we spotlight progress, address gaps, and build the support systems our world needs. Because mental health is health. And in community, everyone finds hope.

Strong communities create strong mental health support networks. Encourage grassroots participation and community-driven solutions. Get involved locally: host an awareness event, collaborate with schools or faith communities, or partner with local leaders. Contact your elected officials to advocate for policies that expand access to care, improve crisis response systems, and support early intervention. Remind community members that advocacy is for everyone — small actions together make a big difference.

Never be afraid to ask the question “Are You OK?” if you think someone is struggling or in crisis. If someone confides in you, always do what you can to help. We need to support each other and make the connections needed to be mentally healthy. If there’s one thing to take away from today, please know that the world needs you here. Behind every statistic is a person, a family, and a community.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally~

Suicide Prevention Month is coming to an end. But that doesn’t mean the awareness has to stop until next year. Mental Health and Suicide Prevention are important to address year-round, and you can help by starting the conversation! This year’s theme was Creating Hope Through Action. Research has shown that people are less likely to attempt suicide or to die by suicide in communities that support, care for, and affirm all their members. To make change happen, we need to take action to shift our culture from silence and stigma to encouragement and understanding.

Let me summarize the key points that I talked about this month. Week 1: Learn the Warning Signs – Hope Begins With Awareness. We all have mental health and it’s as essential to a person’s life as physical health.  Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing.  It affects how we think, feel, and act, and shapes how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Week 2: Reach Out – Help Is Within Reach. It is important to find the help that is right for you when your mental health feels off. Hope and healing can come from many places and in many forms to get the support that you need. Talking about the resources available across Minnesota and in your community can help remove stigma and normalize talking about mental health and focusing on hope and healing. Week 3: Connect To Protect – Relationships Save Lives. Often our first points of contact when we are struggling are our friends, family or colleagues. If someone you know is struggling emotionally or having a hard time, talking with them can be the difference in getting them the help they need. Talking with a loved one about mental health and suicide can be an uncomfortable and an uncertain topic, but it is also one of the best ways to prevent it. We can all take action to have these conversations with someone who may be suicidal by using the five action steps from #BeThe1To. Week 4: Advocate For Change – Your Voice Matters. Talking about mental health and suicide on a community level can help raise awareness and support of suicide prevention efforts and encourage those who need extra support to connect to services. Surrounding people and families with supportive neighborhoods, businesses, schools, faith communities, and services is a critical way to support every person. Communities that work together in an intentional and proactive way is vital to providing needed mental health and suicide prevention support and resources.

I will leave you with this: We can remember, and we can remind each other, that there is no finish line when it comes to mental illness. It’s a journey, and sometimes we can see the path we’re on all the way to the horizon, while other times we can’t even see five feet in front of us because the fog is so thick. But the path is always there, and if we can’t locate it on our own, we have loved ones and doctors and medications to help us find it again, as long as we don’t give up trying to see it. -Wil Wheaton. I came across an article by Wil Wheaton during a support group session while I was navigating the rough waters of my deep depression. He had spoken at a NAMI statewide conference in Ohio back in 2018. Here is the link to his full speech, if you would like to read the whole thing: My name is Wil Wheaton. I Live With Chronic Depression and Generalized Anxiety. I Am Not Ashamed.

As I close out another prevention month, just remember, if you or someone you know is struggling, PLEASE DO NOT GIVE UP! Unseen battles are the hardest fought battles. You are never alone in your journey. You can talk to me, even if we don’t know each other. As scary and uncomfortable as it is, sharing is caring, and caring is healing! So with that — STAY; Your story is not over and your life matters!

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally~

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.  Although mental health and suicide prevention are important to address year-round, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month provides a dedicated time for people, organizations, and communities to join their voices and share that there is hope, help is available, and healing is possible.

This year’s theme is “Creating Hope Through Action.”  The aim of the theme is to raise awareness about how taking action to prevent suicide can create hope and save lives.  To make change happen, we will need to take action to shift our culture from silence and stigma, to encouragement, understanding, and support.  Each week we will highlight different ways to Create Hope Through Action.

Week 4 – Advocate For Change: Your Voice Matters.

Talking about mental health and suicide on a community level can help raise awareness and support of suicide prevention efforts and encourage those who need extra support to connect to services. Surrounding people and families with supportive neighborhoods, businesses, schools, faith communities, and services is a critical way to support every person. Communities that work together in an intentional and proactive way is vital to providing needed mental health and suicide prevention support and resources.

Ideas for action include: Start conversations that focus on normalizing mental health over stigma reduction. Promote help seeking and resources for those in need. Emphasize that suicide is preventable and there are actions individuals can take. Resources such as the 988 Lifeline, local mental health service providers, and crisis centers are available to assist. Learn the warning signs as well as risk, and equally important, know what is effective to protect individuals.

• Community conversations are a common thread that builds relationships. There are many ways to hold conversations within your community. Consider searching for a community education class or program near you where you can talk about mental health and suicide prevention.
• Community can be defined as a feeling of fellowship with others because of shared common interests and goals. Where do you find your community?
• Our community plays an important role in our mental health and wellbeing. What in your community supports your mental health and wellbeing?
• Every person and organization in the community has a role in normalizing conversations about mental health and suicide. To see what you can do, explore the Normalizing Conversations About Mental Health and Suicide Toolkit. Recommended actions, tools, and resources can be used to normalize conversations about mental health, prevent Minnesotans from having suicidal experiences, and improve the lives of people who are struggling.

Opportunities for action. Individuals, organizations, and communities across Minnesota play a vital role in preventing suicides. At every level, across any sector, there are opportunities that someone can take individually and collectively to prioritize suicide prevention and reduce the number of people experiencing suicidal feelings. Moving to action expands an individual’s ability to address the many layers that can reduce the risk of suicide.

Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe! ~Sally~