Oh hey. Welcome to another round of Mental Health Monday, your weekly dose of mental health-related content, resources, and info. Would you do us a favor? It won't cost you anything. Check in on someone. It's hard out here for a pimp. Call up a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. Your cousin who you know is going through it. Someone who mentioned being stressed the fuck out or struggling in some way. It can be as simple as a text or quick phone call, but whatever you do, don't FaceTime folks without prior notification because that's hella rude. Anyhow, let somebody know they can use you to vent/cry/rant/scream or whatever they need, IF you in fact intend to be available when necessary. Again, it's free.

The good news: Shoutout to Queen Viola Davis for winning a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her onscreen brilliance in Fences. And Taraji Henson brought the passion during her acceptance speech while accepting Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture alongside Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and the rest of the cast and crew. And Mahershala Ali had everyone in their feelings while accepting his award for Outstanding Performance By A Male Actor In A Supporting Role. And Denzel, who thought they were gonna let the young boy win, dedicated his award for Outstanding Performance By a Male Actor In A Lead Role to the folks who don't get recognized.

The bad news: That movie about Matt Damon doing battling monsters and mediocrity in ancient, mystical China is still a thing. Upside: it probably won't do well.

Remember: Paris is Burning is coming back to Netflix on February 1st and The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story will be available on February 2nd. Go forth and get your blessing.

This week's goodness:

• Outside The House, "a documentary about Black folks and mental health" by Darnell Lamont Walker

View the rest of Outside The House over at the film's website.

"pack light, a self-care mantra" by Alise Leslie [In My Mental Mind]

"My best-friend-in-my-head, Erykah Badu, has always fed into my soul with little nuggets hidden in plain sight.  She once told me, “If your knowledge were your wealth then it will be well earned.”  I was like, yeah, you right boo.

She peeped me to game about writing plainly and relatably to reach the people who need you the most when she sang, “What good do your words do if they can’t understand you?” Simple, right? Actually, that’s the point, keep it simple sometimes because the PEOPLE need to know what you are saying. Something for the little people, the big people, and all in between. This is Alise digressing because this is where I am at currently. Later though. Yet still deeply profound."

"How a Former Backup Dancer for Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus and Jennifer Lopez Worked Through a Mental Breakdown" by Yusuf Nasir [Glamour]

"Hello, my name is Yusuf Nasir. I am an independent director, choreographer and dance educator. I recently made the transition from professional dancer to further my creative endeavors. Currently, after tireless planning and hard work, my first original, full length dance production, titled “The Shout” will make its world debut at the historic El-Portal Theater in North Hollywood, California, September 22-25. (For L.A. locals, find tickets here.)

My show, amongst its sub-themes, is about mental health. Yes, it’s autobiographical, and who doesn’t like hearing a story about a seemingly normal person going batsh*t crazy? Lord knows I did—until it happened to me."

"Tim Ferriss on How He Survived Suicidal Depression and His Tools for Warding Off the Darkness" by Maria Popova [Brain Pickings]

"It’s important to mention that, by this point, I was past deciding. The decision was obvious to me. I’d somehow failed, painted myself into this ridiculous corner, wasted a fortune on a school that didn’t care about me, so what would be the point of doing otherwise? To repeat these types of mistakes forever? To be a hopeless burden to myself and my family and friends? … The world was better off… What would I ever contribute? Nothing. So the decision was made, and I was in full-on planning mode."

'Haneri' A Short Film on Mental Health in the Punjabi Community by Ms Mutta

"A phone call saved this dad from ending his life and now he's running 870 miles for mental health" by Heledd Pritchard [Wales Online]

"Andrew Williams had just finished writing suicide notes for his family when the phone rang - saving his life.

Just two months later the 32-year-old from Newport is about to attempt a record breaking challenge to run 870 miles around the Welsh coast.

Making his way from Chepstow to Queensferry, around the coastal path and back down Offa’s Dyke, he hopes to raise awareness and tackle the stigma of mental health."

"First aid but not as you know it: 6 simple ways to support someone with mental health" by Frances Coleman-Williams [Metro]

"Within the work place, we’re even now trained to deliver CPR and use a defibrillator to manage life-threatening conditions.

But how many of us would know what to do if a colleague, friend or relative suffered a mental health crisis?

Some mental health conditions can stay completely hidden and go untreated.

And if you noticed someone behaving out of character, which could be a sign that they are developing a mental health condition, what could you do?"

"How Parents Can Identify Mental Health Problems in Their College Kids" by Shane G Owens [US News]

"As a parent, you’ve watched your child grow from infancy to adolescence and now your son or daughter is entering a whole new world. While most kids will get through college just fine, others find themselves on a different, more precarious path.

According to the latest results from the National College Health Assessment, many college students experience mental health difficulties. More than 1 in 5 felt overwhelming anxiety in the 12 months prior to the survey. In addition, 18 percent felt overwhelming anger, and nearly 17 percent felt so depressed they couldn’t function. About half found their academic responsibilities to be 'traumatic or very difficult to handle.'"

An this site has a bunch of free downloads of psychology and psychotherapy books.

Previous Mental Health stuff:

Mental Health Monday: Stock up on self-care. Winter is here.

Mental Health Monday: Here's to a hateration-free 2017.

Mental Health Reading Lists 1 | 2 | 3

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