There once was a psychiatrist in New York who worked with patients who were depressed.  While he provided the usual treatment, he would add something out of the ordinary. He would ask all his patients to do a mitzvah.
 
A mitzvah is a good deed, but not just any good deed. A mitzvah is a good deed where you are not expected to get anything back. You don’t expect an acknowledgment: it doesn’t give you points; you don’t get a reward; and you might not even get a thank you.

May is Mental Health Awareness month.  This month, organizations and agencies publish articles on how to identify mental health issues and best treatment practices.  This year we’d would like to take a slightly different approach and focus on mental health wellness.  In the next few weeks, we will present activities that have been shown to improve mental health. These activities work for people who are currently in treatment, have been in therapy, and want to stay well, and those who have never been in treatment but want to simply improve their mental health.

The statistics are staggering.

Nearly 1 in 6 women and 1 in 33 men in the U.S. have experienced sexual assault or attempted sexual assault some time in their lives. While the effects of sexual violence are far reaching, many times taking hold of entire communities, it is the survivor who carries the trauma of their experience. Fortunately, they have options and services available to lead them on a path toward healing.