1. TO WRITE LOVE ON HER ARMS Florida Gulf Coast University

2. SONG OF THE WEEK! “HERE I AM ALIVE” YELLOWCARD  “People I love and trust try to make decisions for me and I'm used to just doing it to make everyone happy, but I'm learning that I need to be happy for me, too. Even if my decision makes me fall and start over, I still tried for ME and I'm still here alive.”

3. PRESIDENTS REPORT  Children’s Mental Health Awareness Conference, November 2 nd  Hope-N-Mic Night  Tabling  What’s your schedule?

4. VICE PRESIDENT REPORT  Hope & Inspiration

5. SECRETARY REPORT

6. TREASURER REPORT  $5 optional dues  UChapter Shirts $20

7. “THE COMMON COLD”  Depression is considered to be the common cold of mental illness  1 in 10 suffer from depression/15-22 million  9.1% of American adults  Depression is 2x as likely in women  Adults between 45-64  9% of teens 12-17  2.8% boys and 4.6% girls 12-17 take anti-depressants you are not alone.

8. What myths do you know or have you heard regarding depression? COMMON MYTHS

9. DEPRESSION  Common Myths  You can just “snap out of it”  You need to get out of the house and do something  Depression is something you can change  The person suffering from depression caused it  Depression is the same as sadness  Just an excuse Do you know any others?

10. Are depression and sadness the same? What are the differences? DEPRESSION VS. SADNESS

11. DepressionSadness  Time frame, a feeling that lasts 2+ weeks  Combination of emotions  You may not know why  Requires treatment  Sadness is an emotion  Response to something  No treatment necessary DEPRESSION VS. SADNESS

12. …CONTINUED  “Depression is the ink that stains everything, you can never imagine yourself not being depressed.  “You can forget about when you were sad, but you remember depression.”  Symptoms  Decreased mood  Lack of interest/pleasure  Impairment /cost  Not the same as grieving!  Insomnia  Changes appetite  Thoughts of suicide

13. What do you think are causes of depression? WHAT CAUSES DEPRESSION?

14.  Depression can be cause by a number of things…  Environmental  Psychological  Biological  Medical

15. JUST SO YOU KNOW…  Please know that you are not alone and there are people who care and who want you to get the help you deserve!  If you are someone who cares about people deeply and find yourself consistently helping others but are becoming emotionally tied down to their problems please refer them to a professional, we cannot “fix” people, none-the-less everyone. Let yourself breathe, be there for the person, comfort them but point them in a direction that is healthy for both of you.

16. SELF-INJURY

17. WHAT IS SELF-INJURY  The deliberate, repetitive, impulsive, non-lethal injuring on one’s body for the purpose of regulation emotional stability.

18. SELF HARM FACTS  14-24 percent of youth and young adults have self-injured at least once.  4 percent of adults occasionally self-injure.  That is one out of every five people  Males and females report similar rates of self-injury.  17-20% of college students admit to self harming themselves

19. SELF HARM MYTHS What are some myths you know about self harm?

20. SELF HARM MYTHS  Discuss Myths  Done for attention  “emo” issue  If you talk about it then others will start to do it  It is only a phase  You will grow out of it

21. CAUSE OF SELF-INJURY Why do people self-harm?

22. WHAT WOULD CAUSE SOMEONE TO SELF-INJURE  Not one Single factor  It is a complex of different things and complex underlying emotional issues

23. WHY DO PEOPLE SELF INJURE?  To survive  To cope  Transfer emotional pain into physical  Escape numbness  To control something  Regulate emotion  To find relief

24. HOW CAN YOU HELP? How can you help a friend or loved one who is struggling with self-injury?

25. HOW TO TALK TO A FRIEND OR LOVED ONE WHO IS STRUGGLING WITH SELF INJURY  Set a time to talk with them about your concerns  Ask your friend/family member to see if they would like to talk to a counselor  Avoid placing blame on your friend regarding their actions or attitudes  Don’t assume you know what your friend is going through  Express your continued support  REMEMBER YOU ARE NOT A PROFESSIONAL

26. COMMONALITIES AND UNIQUITIES CANDY TIME!!!!!!!