Blog
Welcome,
Our blog section is where we write education and informational blogs to share mental health education with the world. Our team of dedicated writers and educators are on a mission to end the stigma associated with mental health, by spreading awareness, sharing personal stories and reviews of books that help make a difference.
"Understanding the complexities of the current mental health landscape is the first step toward addressing the challenges we face. "
"By approaching this topic with sensitivity, age-appropriate information, and open communication, we can empower our children to feel safe, make responsible choices, and confidently navigate these challenging times"
"With the help of mobile technology and network connectivity, people are more connected now than they ever have been before."
"A good friend is someone who is trustworthy because they respect you and themselves."
Beige background with lettering saying Self Care Tips for Female Entrepreneurs
We all know that social media affects our mental health. And when that happens, it's more than okay to disconnect and take time off to recharge. Included in this blog post are tips and tricks to help lower screen time and social media usage.
While we pack up our shorts and store them away, replacing them with thick cable knit sweaters and socks, we do the same with our coping skills. The coping skills that got us through the summer like biking and swimming, we must replace them with ones better suited for the wintery cold.
Mental Monarchs wants to thank the community for supporting us at the first-ever Mental Health Festival in South Texas. It was an incredible turnout where we shared mental health resources, psycho-education while creating community connection. None of this would have been possible without the support of our followers, sponsors, and vendors. Our sponsors include: Mcallen Chamber of Commerce , Mcallen Sports , Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley , Feeding America , Charity Navigator , Lone Star National Bank , Williamson Law Firm , Counseling Center of South Texas , Novel Boutique Fabrics , Doctors Hospital of Renaissance , Martin's Food Supply , Ewing & Lara, RiCreate Media , and You Can Do It Chickadee. The Mental Health Festival served as a community engagement project to bridge connections from our online platform to IRL. It was amazing to meeting passionate people from the Rio Grande Valley and have them share with us the lack of mental health resources they feel are prevalent in the valley. We met with individuals in our community who shared that they were unaware of local resources and how to get started on their mental health healing journey. We handed out Mental Monarch pamphlets in English and Spanish that shared information on self-care, anxiety, depression. If you are interested in these pamphlets, please visit our link and download them. The height of our event was the Doggy Pageant and it lived up to the hype. With dogs being such emotional support, especially within the last year, we thought it was important to include an activity that involved our furry friends. A big thank you to @doggywhodonated for the treats that went out to our doggy pageant contestants. We have a blog post dedicated to dogs and mental health so make sure to check that out. From the money raised, we will be working towards making mental health information and resources available to the community. This means providing the community with symptoms and signs to look out for and how to get started with mental health treatment. We are hoping to accomplish this through social media, blog posts, and events. Additionally, our team is working on making programs available for our community to learn more about mental health.
Mental health providers don’t usually recommend medications right away. Utilizing any therapeutic approach, clinicians aim to support a person as a whole - not just label a diagnosis or address specific mental health needs. They consider other factors that are just as essential to reach homeostasis, including physical, emotional and social aspects. However, when traditional talk therapy isn’t showing much progress after months of work, it may be time to consider medication. Sometimes we can benefit from additional support, and medication can be just that. Is there a stigma against mental health? Is there a stigma against mental health medications? You decide. Mental illness is as diagnosable as diabetes. Someone diagnosed with diabetes would supplement with the necessary insulin that their body requires to maintain a healthy balance. Someone diagnosed with depression or anxiety can also supplement their bodies with the necessary neurotransmitters to maintain this same healthy balance. FAQs: Who can write me a prescription? A psychiatrist has the most experience with mental health and can work with you in assessing your symptoms and needs, but you can also talk to a general or nurse practitioner about prescription medication. You would want to check in with them every few weeks/months to ensure you’re on the right track with dosage. How long will I have to take medication? That would be decided between you and your prescribing physician, but a therapist can definitely keep an eye on dosage and side effects during your counseling sessions. Will it work right away? Medications can sometimes take a few days, weeks, or months to fully adjust to your body. Everyone has a different timeline - consistency is key when incorporating something new. Will I experience side effects? Again, everyone is different, and some may experience discomfort as they are adjusting. Checking in with your prescriber about these side effects is important in regard to adjusting the type of meds and dosage. Research shows that combining medication with talk therapy leads to a better overall prognosis. Schedule a consultation with a therapist today if you feel like medication may be beneficial for you - you can explore this idea together! Get To Know The Author: CRYSTAL HINOJOSA