Public Service Announcement:

Social workers put pieces together in our society, thank you!

Facebook and Instagram are proud to work with The Jed Foundation and The Clinton Foundation, non-profits that work to promote emotional wellbeing, to share potential
warning signs that a friend might be in emotional distress and need your help.

Be aware of statuses/posts, messages, photos, videos, links, comments or hashtags that include the following themes:

– Feeling alone, hopeless, isolated, useless, or a burden to others: “I feel like I’m in a        black hole”; “I don’t want to get out of bed…ever”; “Leave me alone”; “I can’t do anything”

– Showing irritability and hostility that is out of character: “I hate everyone”; “F*@K the  world”

– Showing impulsive behaviors: Like driving recklessly, significant change in, and especially increase in substance use or taking other risks Insomnia posts: “3am again and no sleep”

– Withdrawal from everyday activities: “Missed another chem lab – I’m such a waste”; “Another day in bed under the covers”

-Use of Negative Emoticons: for example, repeatedly using emoticons that suggest someone is feeling down or thinking about using a tool to hurt themselves.

– Use of Concerning Hashtags: #depressed #lonely #whenimgone #noonecares #suicidal #selfharm #hatemyself #alone #sad #lost #worthless #neverenough #givingup

• Currently, when someone searches for a hashtag indicative of self-harm (for example, “#cutting”) on Instagram, a content advisory warning pop- up will appear. People have the option to select “Learn More” before viewing any posts.

-Following Activity: On either Facebook’s ‘News Feed’, or Instagram’s ‘Following Activity’, you can see the accounts and posts people start to follow. If you notice a friend liking or following feeds or posts that promote negative behaviors, even if they aren’t sharing concerning content themselves, may serve as a warning sign that they are engaging with troubling messages or communities.
-Trust Your Instincts: If you see someone posting messages, photos, videos, links, comments or hashtags that suggest the person is in emotional distress, you should reach out and get them the help they may need.

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How to Help a Friend in Need

If you have a friend who seems to be struggling with an issue that may be more serious than they can handle, there is a lot that you can do to support them. Reach out – pick up the phone, swing by their dorm room, walk with them between classes, let them know
they are not alone in feeling this way and that it’s ok to ask for help. Be clear and direct, and do not use hints such as using the “Like” button or replying with an emoticon, as these could be misinterpreted by the person you’re trying to help. Understanding that it can be tough to start this conversation, here are some suggestions on how you
can reach out:

• “I’m worried about you because you seem…” (e.g., sad, withdrawn, etc.). Have examples ready such as, “It concerned me when you said…” Be specific about what you noticed.

• “Do you wantto talk aboutit?”;“What can I do to help?” If they say no, then you might say: “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me, but it is important that you talk to someone.”

• Offer to help them connect with the campus counseling service or health center, chaplain or dean of students, or other mental health services.

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Warning Signs that Someone May Need Urgent Help or May Be at Risk of Suicide

While it can be hard, particularly on social media, to know if someone is exaggerating, being sarcastic or being serious, if someone threatens to take their own life, you should always take them seriously.

Here are some examples of things someone at risk of
suicide might post about:

• Suicide or wanting to die: “I want out”; “Everyone would be better off without me”; “No one would care if I were gone”; “There’s no reason to live”

• Intense and urgent emotional despair or intense guilt or shame, feeling trapped: “I can’t take it [the pain] anymore”; “There is no way out”; “I’m done”; “I’m so sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused everyone”

• Rage or seeking revenge: “I’ll show you all”; “She’ll be sorry”

• Saying goodbyes, giving away personal possessions: “I’ll miss you all”; “You won’t have to worry about me anymore”

• Glorifying or glamorizing death, or making death seem heroic: “Death is beautiful”

• Where/how to get potentially lethal means, like access to pills or weapons

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How to Help a Friend in Urgent Need or Who May Be at Risk of Suicide

1. If someone is threatening their own life or someone else’s life, this is an emergency. If you feel comfortable, you should bring your friend to the Emergency Room. Or you call 911 or campus emergency services immediately. If it’s safe to do so, stay with that person or do what you can to contact them or find someone to stay with them until help arrives.

2. You can use the following national services any time: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) OR reach the organization via Facebook chat http://
suicidepreventionlifeline.org/gethelp/fbchatterms.aspx

3. You can also report someone who may be suicidal to Facebook directly here and on Instagram, you can click the ‘three dots’ button on the bottom right corner of every post, report the image as inappropriate, and choose the reason why. Facebook and Instagram have dedicated teams committed to reviewing reported content as quickly as possible, and in some cases will provide extra resources for those in need. However, if the person has made an explicit threat of suicide, you should call 911 or a suicide hotline immediately.

Remember to:
• Listen without judgment, assumptions, or interruptions. Let them know that you    believe what they are saying and take them seriously
• Know your limits and do not place yourself in physical danger – the best way to help is to connect your friend to a mental health professional.

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For more information about suicide prevention on Facebook, go to: https://www.facebook.com/help/suicideprevention

For resources and to learn more about reporting a post you are concerned about on Instagram, go to the Instagram Help Center: https://help.instagram.com/ select Privacy and Safety then Reporting Something and then Self harm.

For more information about mental health and how to help yourself or a friend, visit: http://www.halfofus.com

This guide, while evidence based, is for informational and educational purposes only
and is not intended to constitute medical advice or be a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment.

Brought To You By:

APPS:

1. Calm

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

Calm was branded as Apple’s “App of the Year” in 2017. The app is designed to reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and help you to feel happier.

Calm focuses on the four key areas of meditation, breathing, sleep, and relaxation, with the aim of bringing joy, clarity, and peace to your daily life.

The app delivers meditations that can help you to destress, as well as breathing programs, music, and sounds from nature to relax your mind and body and promote better sleep.

Calm is the perfect app if you are new to meditation, but it also offers programs for more advanced users. Meditation sessions are available in lengths of 3–25 minutes, to fit in with your schedule.

2. Headspace

Android: Free
iPhone: Free

Headspace uses mindfulness and meditation to help you perform at your best
each day. The app’s mission is to provide you with the essential tools to
achieve a happier, healthier life.
Whether you need to build healthier relationships, find a place of calm, keep
your mind fit, or reduce stress, Headspace has hundreds of themed
mindfulness and meditation sessions to support you.
The app reports that meditation reduces daily stress and improves focus and
attention. What is more, using Headspace is suggested to enhance
compassionate behavior toward others in just 3 weeks.

3. Moodnotes

iPhone: $3.99

Moodnotes is a thought journal and mood diary. The app can be used to capture your feelings and improve your thinking habits through the implementation of CBT and positive psychology.

Track your mood and increase self-awareness of what influences it. Learn to recognize “traps” in your thinking and ways to rethink the situation.

If you happen to enter a “thinking trap,” Moodnotes will provide suggestions and useful perspectives to reduce stress and enhance well-being. Progress is viewable in the helpful “Insights” dashboard.

4. Moodpath

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

Moodpath is your pocket-sized mental health companion. Whether you are facing a rough patch or have concerns about your mental health, the app’s goal is to support you through the difficult times and guide you out the other side.

Moodpath asks daily questions in order to assess your well-being and screen for symptoms of depression. The screening progress aims to increase your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and feelings.

After a period of 2 weeks, the app generates an electronic document that you can discuss with a healthcare professional. More than 150 videos and psychological exercises are available to help you understand your mood and strengthen your mental health.

5. Pacifica

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

Pacifica is an app with anxiety and stress in mind. It provides a toolbox to deal with daily anxiety and stress, along with a highly supportive community of like-minded individuals.

Pacifica helps you to break cycles of unhelpful thoughts, feelings, and behaviors through methods such as CBT, mindfulness meditation, mood tracking, and relaxation.

The app houses audio lessons and activities that help you to cope with stress and depression, and it sets daily challenges to help you tackle anxiety one day at a time and reach your long-term goals.

6. SuperBetter

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

SuperBetter is a game focusing on increasing resilience and the ability to remain strong, optimistic, and motivated when presented with challenging obstacles in life.

A study by the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia found that when people played SuperBetter for 30 days, their mood improved, symptoms of anxiety and depression decreased, and self-belief to achieve goals increased.

The app will help you to adopt new habits, improve your skills, strengthen relationships, complete meaningful projects, and achieve lifelong dreams. SuperBetter also has the potential to help you beat depression and anxiety, cope with chronic illness, and recover from post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).

7. 7 Cups

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

If you are feeling lonely, sad, stressed, or worried, 7 Cups could be the perfect app for you. It provides online therapy and emotional support for anxiety and depression.

There are more than 160,000 trained listeners and licensed therapists who are available to anonymously speak with 24/7. Speak your mind and confide in listeners without the fear of being judged.

These listeners can be searched for based on their experience or their specialties, such as bullying, panic attacks, eating disorders, relationship breakups, and many more. Affordable therapy with an online therapist can commence one-to-one in a confidential setting.

8. Anxiety Relief Hypnosis

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

Anxiety Relief Hypnosis is an app suggested to help improve relaxation and reduce anxiety within just 1–3 weeks of use.

The app’s developers say that hypnosis can decrease anxious thoughts and enhance your response to relaxation, which, in turn, resets your behavior and enables an improved response to stress.

The app provides an audio session read by a certified hypnotherapist together with calming music and sounds from nature to aid relaxation. The “awaken at end” feature can be disabled to allow you to fall into restful sleep at bedtime.

9. Happify

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

Happify is a space to overcome negative thoughts and stress and build resilience. Whether you are feeling stressed, anxious, or sad, Happify helps you to regain control of your thoughts and feelings.

In fact, 86 percent of the app’s users report feeling better about their lives after 2 months of using it.

Happify employs techniques and evidence-based interventions in the areas of CBT, positive psychology, and mindfulness to help you break old and unhealthful patterns and form new, healthful habits.

The app offers activities and games to improve your life satisfaction and ability to fight negativity. Your emotional well-being is calculated as a happiness score that you can improve upon each week.

10. Talkspace

Android: Free

iPhone: Free

Talkspace is a counseling and therapy app that connects users with a convenient, affordable, and confidential way to deal with anxiety, stress, depression, relationship issues, and chronic illness.

A free consultation is provided with a Matching Agent to identify the ideal therapist for your needs based on several factors. More than 1,000 licensed therapists are available, who specialize in anxiety, phobia, depression, domestic violence, PTSD, and more.

After upgrading and becoming a member, access is given to a secure chat room wherein you can raise and discuss your worries with your private counselor. The app’s pricing plans are described as being approximately 80 percent lower than traditional office-based appointments.