Rest and meditate with Fullerton College this week as part of Mental Health Awareness week from May 14 to May 18.
Since 1949, the month of May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness month around the United States.
Fullerton College Health Services has A-frame signs around campus promoting relaxation and meditation.
“So far there’s been a good response. We’ve been getting a lot of calls asking about the rest and meditation,” said Health Services Assistant Edgar Gomez.
On Wednesday, May 16 and Thursday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Rooms 224-228, students may attend rest and relaxation sessions. These include nap tents, coloring, snacks and meditation. Meditation sessions will take place every hour in Room 228. As finals are underway, the timing is perfect.
Outside the health services office is a board with information on how to access free psychological counseling through FC Health Services as well as statistics on mental health.
According to the World Health Organization, the United States has the highest rate of mental illness out of 14 countries surveyed. The United States has a 26.4-percent rate of mental illness, followed by the Ukraine with 20.5-percent and France with 18.4-percent.
Women make up 34.7-percent of Americans with a mental disorder, while men make up 29.9-percent.
Mental Health Awareness Month serves as a motive to educate students, faculty and the community on this topic. There are a number of services available to the public along with tips in dietary, exercise and sleep habits that promote mental health.
Mental Health America is a community-based nonprofit organization that offers a variety of information on finding help and getting screened. Their website offers a downloadable mental health toolkit including worksheets and fact sheets on how daily habits effect mental health and your well-being.
“People should not take it so lightly, as some people are really insensitive to the subject only because they don’t know or they haven’t been through it,” stated FC student Liza Rey.
“We should be more aware of the signs and the factors that contribute to it. We should be more aware of what’s going on.”
For campus health information visit http://health.fullcoll.edu. Downloadable toolkits are available at http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may