Resource Category: Mental Wellness

The month of February is set aside as Eating Disorders and Body Image Awareness Month. It is a time when we call attention to people who are struggling with all kinds of eating and body image-related challenges and a time to celebrate people of all shapes and forms. Tu B’Shvat and body positivity are surprisingly related within Jewish tradition.
Written in Partnership with In the City Camps: Despite increased awareness of mental illness among their caregivers, many children and teens are still struggling with untreated or undertreated mental health issues, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Approximately 14 percent of 10- to 19-year-olds currently are experiencing a mental health condition such as depression and/or anxiety.
Imagine how the Jewish people may have felt following their departure from Egypt. Exhausted but hopeful, carrying the heavy burden of generations of physical and emotional pain, having experienced unbelievable miracles, it is likely that they were in some state of shock. The transition from the agony of slavery and oppression to a state of freedom and possibility was almost certainly too hard to process immediately. Instead, as they journeyed through the desert, the fledgling Jewish nation may have struggled with the overpowering feelings and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 
Finding the right team is crucial in mental health treatment! But what does this even mean? It is essential to have support from positive relationships with therapists, psychiatrists, school, work and family members.