I Thought It Was Just Me. “It feels like I am the only one.” “Why me?” “Am I crazy?” If you’re nodding your head as you read these statements, you are NOT the only one. Oftentimes we isolate when we are going through something painful, but we also isolate our pain. Dr. Kristin Neff (Youtube.com) reflects wonderful research around the 3 Components of Self-Compassion: Self-Kindness, Mindfulness and Common Humanity . When we are in a place of suffering, we tend to isolate mentally and cut ourselves off from support. We may not all share the same life experiences, but we all do carry the same human emotions: sadness, anger, grief, joy, shame and many more. Dr. Kristin Neff normalizes human suffering in that suffering is a part of life and we don’t have to go through it alone. We are naturally built for human connection and the need to be understood with what we go through in life. All too often feeling like what you are going through is “just you” is one of the many barriers to finding other people who also can relate to either the experience, emotion or the suffering. One example of a shared difficult experience as a country is the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people continue to suffer today from the anxiety, depression and isolation that originated from this pandemic, but few individuals recognize that they are not alone. And it’s not just about seeking professional help, but also that you give yourself the compassion you deserve to reveal your pain and find connection. Kristin Neff’s 3 Components Of Self-Compassion Brief Breakdown: Kindness - Being kind and gentle towards ourselves during times of pain and suffering. Mindfulness - Being aware of the physical, emotional, and mental pain. Common Humanity- Recognizing that painful emotions are a part of being human. “Remember, if you really want to motivate yourself, love is more powerful than fear.” - Dr. Kristin Neff.

World Semicolon Day is on April 16th of every year. Project Semicolon was founded on April 16th, 2013 and is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope to those who are struggling with mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, depression, self-injury, and addiction. According to the Project Semicolon website, “A semicolon is used when an author could have chosen to end their sentence, but chose not to. The author is you and the sentence is your life. When you’re experiencing a mental health problem, supportive and reliable information can change your life. That’s what we do. We empower people to understand their condition and the choices available to cope with the symptoms of their mental illness.” This encourages the idea to discuss personal experience, strength, and hope with others. The timing of the date of World Semicolon Day on April 16th is symbolic to occur in the month of April. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, the month of April is rooted in the Latin word Aprilis meaning “to open.” This could also be in reference to the opening or blossoming of flowers, trees, hope and renewal and a chance to develop, grow, flourish and thrive. The Sunrise Therapy Services Team works with adults, children, adolescents, couples and families every day who struggle with mental illness, depression, anxiety, trauma, thoughts of suicide, thoughts of wanting to engage in self-injurious behavior, and many other challenges. We are passionate about our clinical work and we are dedicated to let our clients and others know that their story isn’t over yet. Our mission is to raise mental health awareness and educate about mental health, the stigma surrounding mental illness and provide resources and ongoing support. As our Sunrise Therapy Services motto states, we are committed to the practice “Where We Learn, Grow, and Change.” What is your story? You too can raise mental health awareness and help stop the mental health stigma. Your story is not over yet! One important way you can play a role in helping someone with mental health issues is to have an open conversation and encourage those who are in need to seek support.

As the year of 2022 comes to a close, let's reflect on ways to build a healthy relationship with yourself and also set a tone for the New Year of 2023 and for your life moving forward. Your relationship with yourself is one of the most important relationships you will ever have!

How To Keep Our Brains Healthy Julian Lagoy, MD, a psychiatrist with Mindpath Health, believes that research is important. "We can all learn from it to help improve our lives." he says. "It shows that we need to keep our minds active and engaged, and that the more we use our brains in life, the less likely we will have degeneration in older age." Education and lifelong learning help us use our brains to their maximum potential by stirring up our curiosity and intellect, Dr. Lagoy adds. The more you use your brain, the more oxygen it requires and your body increases blood flow to it to fulfill the higher demand. This is what keeps the brain healthy and active. "It's similar to how cardio exercise every day helps benefit the health of your heart. It's just like working out your other muscles. The more you keep the mind engaged, the healthier you are for it whereas if you don't use it regularly it is more likely to decline." "There are plenty of things you can do in your daily life, such as having thought-provoking conversations, or watching intelligent, educational TV shows, like documentaries to keep your brain healthy." -Julian Lagoy, MD How are you keeping your brain healthy?

Grand Opening Of Our Sunrise Therapy Services Trumbull, CT Location

Speaking Out About Mental Health Issues and The Importance of Reaching Out and Speaking Up. You Are Not Alone! Your Mental Health Matters!

In February 2020, Sunrise Therapy Services, LLC sat down with local artist Duane Corey who created a painting for our Sunrise Therapy Services, LLC Bridgeport Office. How did you get started creating art? Honestly, I started doing art doing freehand drawings of comic book characters in the funny papers. Am I dating myself? Do they still deliver funny papers? I was doing things just like other little kids at the time. What inspires you? Why do you make art? Seeing people smile is what inspires me. It sounds cliché but it's what I was created to do. What is your most important artist tool? The greatest tool for any artist is their imagination. With your mind you create this reality that hopefully others feel connected to. How did you come up with the idea for the Sunrise Therapy Services painting? I didn't know what exactly what I wanted to do for the Sunrise painting but I did know aesthetically I wanted water or some kind of seascape because of the connectivity of water to life and ultimately all of us to each other. Do you consider art a form of therapy or therapeutic? Art for me is therapy. It’s repetitive. It feels good. I believe the more you do it the better you are at it. What advice do you have for future artists? My advice to future artists is to create what you love because if you enjoy doing it you are likely to be a success at it. Duane Corey can be reached at Art By Duane on Facebook or via https://pixels.com/profiles/duane-corey?tab=artwork

7 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Gratitude That Will Motivate You To Give Thanks Year-Round Forbes Magazine Article-By: Amy Morin, November 2014        

Fighting the Stigma of Mental Illness Through Music  NY Times Article-By: Michelle C. Hollow-January 29, 2019 An orchestra in which musicians are dealing with mental health issues is working to harness the healing power of music.