Mental Health First Aid

I spent two years suffering in silence from debilitating anxiety. I would have given anything for a copy of<i>Mental Health First Aid</i>. These illnesses affect every single person on the planet whether it's you, your parents, your best friend, or your co-workers. Read it, and make this world a better place. <b>Charlie Hoehn, </b> author of <i>Play It Away: A Workaholic's Cure for Anxiety</i> There is no better time than now to pick up this book. Benas has concentrated on a topic that affects us all in some way and gives us a map to creating a healthier tomorrow starting with ourselves. <b>Adam Grant, </b> Wharton professor and bestselling author of <i>Give and Take</i> and <i>Originals</i> If we are going to truly tackle stigma and the barriers millions of Americans face when it comes to getting access to treatment, we need to start by equipping those on the front lines with the skills to recognize mental illness and direct people to the help they deserve. Nick Benas' book couldn't come at a better time as those of us involved in this cause search for new partners in the fight for better mental health in this country. <b>Connecticut State Representative Sean Scanlon</b> I have been supporting children between the ages of 9-12 for the past 12 years as a school counselor. Not only have I experienced years of anxiety growing up, I see it impacting the lives of our youth. Thoughts, concerns, and feelings that these children are experiencing are present and need attention of the support personnel in the schools. This is where Nick Benas book will be a powerful tool for not only the children but for professional development. <b>Paul Canestri</b>, 5th and 6th Grade Middle School Counselor, Guilford, CT The journey of discovery and understanding mental health and wellness allows a person to retain a strong sense of self and motivation to pursue goals clearly.Gaining insight and resiliency from adversity in mental health allows each individual to be open and alive to the opportunity to achieve their fullest potential. <b>Michele Hart, </b> Clinician, LCSW In a broken and hurting world, we see an increasing number of people around us with debilitating mental health disorders. As a Pastor and a Chaplain in the L.A. County Jails, this timely book is an indispensable tool for me to better understand and assist these friends. I hope it will inspire more to reach out to ones who desperately need to know there is someone who cares about them. <b>Chaplain Martin Wilson</b>, Pastor of the Beverly Hills Persian Church At 18 years of age, I was anorexic as a freshman at Penn State. At 19, I would become bulimic (and I would stay bulimic until I was 44 years old). By age 22, I was an alcoholic; by 25, I was self-harming as a law student at Pittsburgh; by 27, I was a cocaine addict. By 30, I was a steroid addict; at 44, I was suicidal and saved by my brothers, two trips to a psychiatric facility, and three failed marriages (one more, I would get a free pair of steak knives). Then finally, after a two-day drug- and alcohol-induced blackout, April 7th, 2007, I started on my first step to recovery. Perhaps what saved and improved the quality of my life was knowing that loved ones were there and that there was hope. Nick Benas explains such simple and effective strategies to aid, assist, and provide the necessary resources for those struggling with mental health and substance use. <b>Brian Cuban</b>, attorney, best-selling author of <i>Shattered Image: My Triumph over Body Dysmorphic Disorder</i>