May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This year, the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) has launched the More Than Enough campaign. “It’s an opportunity for all of us to come together and remember the inherent value we each hold — no matter our diagnosis, appearance, socioeconomic status, background, or ability. We want every person out there to know that if all you did was wake up today, that’s more than enough. No matter what, you are inherently worthy of more than enough life, love and healing. Showing up, just as you are, for yourself and the people around you is more than enough.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults with anxiety or depressive disorder symptoms rose from 36 to 42 percent between August 2020 and February 2021.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness reported that 1 in 5 adults in the US experienced a mental illness, while 1 in 20 experienced or dealt with a serious mental illness during 2020.
Supporting Our Teams’ Mental Health
Fortunately, there are things we can do, as individuals and as teams, to bolster our mental health and support one another. Every little bit counts! Here are some things that the Rarebreed community is doing.
A Safe Space & Someone To Talk To
Maine Veterinary Medical Center (MVMC) is renovating a room dedicated to promoting the team’s wellness. Thanks to generous support from IDEXX, this will be a peaceful space to take a break, relax, and recharge their batteries. Compassion fatigue is common in the veterinary industry, and this is a simple way to care for and support healthcare teams.
We also have a grief counselor available to both staff and pet parents struggling with the loss of a pet.
Burning Brightly with Dr. Ginger Templeton
Fighting Cyber Harassment
Rarebreed has teamed with NOMV (Not One More Vet) to form an anti-cyber-harassment task force to support veterinary teams with tools to prepare for a potential cyber harassment attack and actionable steps to take during an attack. Cyber harassment is the deliberate use of technology to target an individual or business intending to intimidate, harass, embarrass, discredit, or otherwise cause emotional distress.
Even a single instance of harrassment can be enough to cause distress. We will be rolling out this program in the coming weeks.
Men’s Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Stay; For Life is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save lives by advocating for men’s mental health and suicide prevention. One of our team members co-founded it after her son died by suicide. Click the link above for access to suicide resources, mental health resources, veterans’ resources, and LGBTQ+ resources, and share them with your friends and family.
Employee Assistance Programs
Rarebreed’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides confidential, professional support, resources, and information to get through life’s challenges, including confidential counseling on personal issues; financial information and tools; and legal information and consultation.
Many companies offer this benefit free of charge, so check with your employer for details.
Free Online Resources
Some of our teams are taking an online course offered by Yale University called The Science of Well-Being. This free course consists of challenges designed to increase your happiness and build more productive habits.
Please remember that no matter what you are going through, there is always help and support close by.
