{"id":11417,"date":"2018-07-30T14:48:13","date_gmt":"2018-07-30T18:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebw.tv\/?p=11417"},"modified":"2018-09-11T16:46:10","modified_gmt":"2018-09-11T20:46:10","slug":"healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/","title":{"rendered":"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: The Power of Friendship"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000080;\"><em><a style=\"color: #000080;\" href=\"http:\/\/scccmh.org\">Sponsored by: St. Clair County Community Mental Health<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0On August 5<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><sup>th<\/sup><\/span><span class=\"s1\">, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. Good friends help prevent loneliness, increase our sense of belonging and purpose, may boost our happiness, reduce our stress levels, improve our self-confidence and self-worth, and help us cope with traumas such as divorce, serious illness, job loss, or the death of a loved one. Good friends may even help us change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, for many adults, making and keeping strong friendships is difficult. Today, in the United States most peoples\u2019 lifestyles are defined by work, child rearing, caring for aging parents, maintaining their home, and with any spare time left running one errand after another. By default friendships often take a back seat to these priorities. Friends can also drift apart due to changes in their lives or interests or by moving away from one another. It is estimated that the average American will move 12 times in his or her life, forcing people to maintain long-distance friendships while trying to find new friends closer to home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0Individuals with a mental health issue face all these challenges and more. Individuals with a mental illness frequently have a smaller social network and tend to have more family members than friends in their social circle. Due to negative experiences, they may also anticipate rejection from other people, leading them to avoid social contact. As a result, some individuals with a mental illness often find it more difficult to manage social situations and therefore may miss opportunities to make new friends and strengthen existing friendships.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0People with mental illness may also hesitate to share information about their mental health with friends out of fear of stigma, being judged, or being seen as weak. Consequently, many times people are surprised when they learn of a friend\u2019s mental illness and don\u2019t know how to respond. This may lead them to doing nothing at all, despite wanting to be there for their friend. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0Fortunately, there are some simple steps a person can take to help a friend overcome the isolation that often accompanies a mental illness.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>First, you should not let a mental illness define your relationship or change the things you do with your friend. The stability and comfort of sharing time with a friend as you always have is essential. Even if they have resisted repeated invitations in the past, continue to invite them to events or gatherings. Don\u2019t give up on them! Remember, individuals with a mental illness often feel stigmatized, misunderstood, and somehow less than everyone else and as a result, he or she may avoid social contact. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0Second, it is important to be educated about a friend\u2019s mental illness. Most peoples\u2019 understanding of mental illness is shaped by popular media, such as movies and TV. Unfortunately, most of this information, even when presented sympathetically, is inaccurate. However, there are many trustworthy sites on the Internet where one can learn about mental illness and recovery. They include <a href=\"http:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/\"><span class=\"s3\">http:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/<\/span><\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nami.org\/\"><span class=\"s3\">http:\/\/www.nami.org\/<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0Finally, if you have a friend with a mental illness, express concern and support. Be available to listen, but don\u2019t try to force a conversation. If asked, offer suggestions, but respect your friend\u2019s decisions if they differ from your suggestion. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0Recovery from a mental illness can be a long process in which an individual experiences both successes and recurring obstacles. It is at those moments that your friendship is most important. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u00a0 \u00a0St. Clair County Community Mental Health provides public services and supports to adults with mental illnesses, children with serious emotional disturbances, individuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities and persons with co-occurring substance use disorders.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>For more information, crisis intervention or to find out if you qualify for public services, please call the Access Center at 1-888-225-4447.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Support is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>General information is also available at the St. Clair County Community Mental Health website, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scccmh.org\">www.scccmh.org<\/a> or on the Agency\u2019s Facebook page, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/SCCCMH\">www.facebook.com\/SCCCMH<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sponsored by: St. Clair County Community Mental Health \u00a0 \u00a0On August 5th, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. Good friends help prevent loneliness, increase our sense of belonging and purpose, may boost our happiness, reduce our stress levels, improve our self-confidence and self-worth, and help us cope with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":11418,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","et_post_format-et-post-format-video","et-has-post-format-content"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: The Power of Friendship<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On August 5th, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. Good friends help prevent loneliness, increase our sense of belonging and purpose, may boost our happiness, reduce our stress levels, improve our self-confidence and self-worth.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: Power of Friendship\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On August 5th, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. Good friends help prevent loneliness, increase our sense of belonging and purpose, may boost our happiness, reduce our stress levels, improve our self-confidence and self-worth, and help us cope with traumas such as divorce, serious illness, job loss, or the death of a loved one. Good friends may even help us change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise. \u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, for many adults, making and keeping strong friendships is difficult. Today, in the United States most peoples\u2019 lifestyles are defined by work, child rearing, caring for aging parents, maintaining their home, and with any spare time left running one errand after another. By default friendships often take a back seat to these priorities. Friends can also drift apart due to changes in their lives or interests or by moving away from one another. It is estimated that the average American will move 12 times in his or her life, forcing people to maintain long-distance friendships while trying to find new friends closer to home. \u00a0 \u00a0Individuals with a mental health issue face all these challenges and more. Individuals with a mental illness frequently have a smaller social network and tend to have more family members than friends in their social circle. Due to negative experiences, they may also anticipate rejection from other people, leading them to avoid social contact. As a result, some individuals with a mental illness often find it more difficult to manage social situations and therefore may miss opportunities to make new friends and strengthen existing friendships. \u00a0 \u00a0People with mental illness may also hesitate to share information about their mental health with friends out of fear of stigma, being judged, or being seen as weak. Consequently, many times people are surprised when they learn of a friend\u2019s mental illness and don\u2019t know how to respond. This may lead them to doing nothing at all, despite wanting to be there for their friend. \u00a0 \u00a0Fortunately, there are some simple steps a person can take to help a friend overcome the isolation that often accompanies a mental illness.\u00a0 First, you should not let a mental illness define your relationship or change the things you do with your friend. The stability and comfort of sharing time with a friend as you always have is essential. Even if they have resisted repeated invitations in the past, continue to invite them to events or gatherings. Don\u2019t give up on them! Remember, individuals with a mental illness often feel stigmatized, misunderstood, and somehow less than everyone else and as a result, he or she may avoid social contact. \u00a0 \u00a0Second, it is important to be educated about a friend\u2019s mental illness. Most peoples\u2019 understanding of mental illness is shaped by popular media, such as movies and TV. Unfortunately, most of this information, even when presented sympathetically, is inaccurate. However, there are many trustworthy sites on the Internet where one can learn about mental illness and recovery. They include http:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/ and http:\/\/www.nami.org\/. \u00a0 \u00a0Finally, if you have a friend with a mental illness, express concern and support. Be available to listen, but don\u2019t try to force a conversation. If asked, offer suggestions, but respect your friend\u2019s decisions if they differ from your suggestion. \u00a0 \u00a0Recovery from a mental illness can be a long process in which an individual experiences both successes and recurring obstacles. It is at those moments that your friendship is most important. \u00a0 \u00a0St. Clair County Community Mental Health provides public services and supports to adults with mental illnesses, children with serious emotional disturbances, individuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities and persons with co-occurring substance use disorders.\u00a0 For more information, crisis intervention or to find out if you qualify for public services, please call the Access Center at 1-888-225-4447.\u00a0 Support is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week.\u00a0 General information is also available at the St. Clair County Community Mental Health website, www.scccmh.org or on the Agency\u2019s Facebook page, www.facebook.com\/SCCCMH.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-07-30T18:48:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2018-09-11T20:46:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1649\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1276\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"St. Clair County Community Mental Health\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: Power of Friendship\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"On August 5th, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. Good friends help prevent loneliness, increase our sense of belonging and purpose, may boost our happiness, reduce our stress levels, improve our self-confidence and self-worth, and help us cope with traumas such as divorce, serious illness, job loss, or the death of a loved one. Good friends may even help us change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise. \u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, for many adults, making and keeping strong friendships is difficult. Today, in the United States most peoples\u2019 lifestyles are defined by work, child rearing, caring for aging parents, maintaining their home, and with any spare time left running one errand after another. By default friendships often take a back seat to these priorities. Friends can also drift apart due to changes in their lives or interests or by moving away from one another. It is estimated that the average American will move 12 times in his or her life, forcing people to maintain long-distance friendships while trying to find new friends closer to home. \u00a0 \u00a0Individuals with a mental health issue face all these challenges and more. Individuals with a mental illness frequently have a smaller social network and tend to have more family members than friends in their social circle. Due to negative experiences, they may also anticipate rejection from other people, leading them to avoid social contact. As a result, some individuals with a mental illness often find it more difficult to manage social situations and therefore may miss opportunities to make new friends and strengthen existing friendships. \u00a0 \u00a0People with mental illness may also hesitate to share information about their mental health with friends out of fear of stigma, being judged, or being seen as weak. Consequently, many times people are surprised when they learn of a friend\u2019s mental illness and don\u2019t know how to respond. This may lead them to doing nothing at all, despite wanting to be there for their friend. \u00a0 \u00a0Fortunately, there are some simple steps a person can take to help a friend overcome the isolation that often accompanies a mental illness.\u00a0 First, you should not let a mental illness define your relationship or change the things you do with your friend. The stability and comfort of sharing time with a friend as you always have is essential. Even if they have resisted repeated invitations in the past, continue to invite them to events or gatherings. Don\u2019t give up on them! Remember, individuals with a mental illness often feel stigmatized, misunderstood, and somehow less than everyone else and as a result, he or she may avoid social contact. \u00a0 \u00a0Second, it is important to be educated about a friend\u2019s mental illness. Most peoples\u2019 understanding of mental illness is shaped by popular media, such as movies and TV. Unfortunately, most of this information, even when presented sympathetically, is inaccurate. However, there are many trustworthy sites on the Internet where one can learn about mental illness and recovery. They include http:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/ and http:\/\/www.nami.org\/. \u00a0 \u00a0Finally, if you have a friend with a mental illness, express concern and support. Be available to listen, but don\u2019t try to force a conversation. If asked, offer suggestions, but respect your friend\u2019s decisions if they differ from your suggestion. \u00a0 \u00a0Recovery from a mental illness can be a long process in which an individual experiences both successes and recurring obstacles. It is at those moments that your friendship is most important. \u00a0 \u00a0St. Clair County Community Mental Health provides public services and supports to adults with mental illnesses, children with serious emotional disturbances, individuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities and persons with co-occurring substance use disorders.\u00a0 For more information, crisis intervention or to find out if you qualify for public services, please call the Access Center at 1-888-225-4447.\u00a0 Support is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week.\u00a0 General information is also available at the St. Clair County Community Mental Health website, www.scccmh.org or on the Agency\u2019s Facebook page, www.facebook.com\/SCCCMH.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"http:\/\/ebw.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@EbwtvNews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@EbwtvNews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"St. Clair County Community Mental Health\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"St. Clair County Community Mental Health\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/350adb82532000aaa81ac9ce8cc426e2\"},\"headline\":\"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: The Power of Friendship\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-07-30T18:48:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-09-11T20:46:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/\"},\"wordCount\":697,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Community\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/\",\"name\":\"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: The Power of Friendship\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2018-07-30T18:48:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2018-09-11T20:46:10+00:00\",\"description\":\"On August 5th, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. 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Good friends may even help us change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise. \u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, for many adults, making and keeping strong friendships is difficult. Today, in the United States most peoples\u2019 lifestyles are defined by work, child rearing, caring for aging parents, maintaining their home, and with any spare time left running one errand after another. By default friendships often take a back seat to these priorities. Friends can also drift apart due to changes in their lives or interests or by moving away from one another. It is estimated that the average American will move 12 times in his or her life, forcing people to maintain long-distance friendships while trying to find new friends closer to home. \u00a0 \u00a0Individuals with a mental health issue face all these challenges and more. Individuals with a mental illness frequently have a smaller social network and tend to have more family members than friends in their social circle. Due to negative experiences, they may also anticipate rejection from other people, leading them to avoid social contact. As a result, some individuals with a mental illness often find it more difficult to manage social situations and therefore may miss opportunities to make new friends and strengthen existing friendships. \u00a0 \u00a0People with mental illness may also hesitate to share information about their mental health with friends out of fear of stigma, being judged, or being seen as weak. Consequently, many times people are surprised when they learn of a friend\u2019s mental illness and don\u2019t know how to respond. This may lead them to doing nothing at all, despite wanting to be there for their friend. \u00a0 \u00a0Fortunately, there are some simple steps a person can take to help a friend overcome the isolation that often accompanies a mental illness.\u00a0 First, you should not let a mental illness define your relationship or change the things you do with your friend. The stability and comfort of sharing time with a friend as you always have is essential. Even if they have resisted repeated invitations in the past, continue to invite them to events or gatherings. Don\u2019t give up on them! Remember, individuals with a mental illness often feel stigmatized, misunderstood, and somehow less than everyone else and as a result, he or she may avoid social contact. \u00a0 \u00a0Second, it is important to be educated about a friend\u2019s mental illness. Most peoples\u2019 understanding of mental illness is shaped by popular media, such as movies and TV. Unfortunately, most of this information, even when presented sympathetically, is inaccurate. However, there are many trustworthy sites on the Internet where one can learn about mental illness and recovery. They include http:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/ and http:\/\/www.nami.org\/. \u00a0 \u00a0Finally, if you have a friend with a mental illness, express concern and support. Be available to listen, but don\u2019t try to force a conversation. If asked, offer suggestions, but respect your friend\u2019s decisions if they differ from your suggestion. \u00a0 \u00a0Recovery from a mental illness can be a long process in which an individual experiences both successes and recurring obstacles. It is at those moments that your friendship is most important. \u00a0 \u00a0St. Clair County Community Mental Health provides public services and supports to adults with mental illnesses, children with serious emotional disturbances, individuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities and persons with co-occurring substance use disorders.\u00a0 For more information, crisis intervention or to find out if you qualify for public services, please call the Access Center at 1-888-225-4447.\u00a0 Support is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week.\u00a0 General information is also available at the St. Clair County Community Mental Health website, www.scccmh.org or on the Agency\u2019s Facebook page, www.facebook.com\/SCCCMH.","og_url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/","og_site_name":"Thumbcoast.tv | ebw.tv - Serving Port Huron and the Thumbcoast","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bluewatertv\/","article_published_time":"2018-07-30T18:48:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2018-09-11T20:46:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1649,"height":1276,"url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"St. Clair County Community Mental Health","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: Power of Friendship","twitter_description":"On August 5th, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. Good friends help prevent loneliness, increase our sense of belonging and purpose, may boost our happiness, reduce our stress levels, improve our self-confidence and self-worth, and help us cope with traumas such as divorce, serious illness, job loss, or the death of a loved one. Good friends may even help us change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise. \u00a0 \u00a0Unfortunately, for many adults, making and keeping strong friendships is difficult. Today, in the United States most peoples\u2019 lifestyles are defined by work, child rearing, caring for aging parents, maintaining their home, and with any spare time left running one errand after another. By default friendships often take a back seat to these priorities. Friends can also drift apart due to changes in their lives or interests or by moving away from one another. It is estimated that the average American will move 12 times in his or her life, forcing people to maintain long-distance friendships while trying to find new friends closer to home. \u00a0 \u00a0Individuals with a mental health issue face all these challenges and more. Individuals with a mental illness frequently have a smaller social network and tend to have more family members than friends in their social circle. Due to negative experiences, they may also anticipate rejection from other people, leading them to avoid social contact. As a result, some individuals with a mental illness often find it more difficult to manage social situations and therefore may miss opportunities to make new friends and strengthen existing friendships. \u00a0 \u00a0People with mental illness may also hesitate to share information about their mental health with friends out of fear of stigma, being judged, or being seen as weak. Consequently, many times people are surprised when they learn of a friend\u2019s mental illness and don\u2019t know how to respond. This may lead them to doing nothing at all, despite wanting to be there for their friend. \u00a0 \u00a0Fortunately, there are some simple steps a person can take to help a friend overcome the isolation that often accompanies a mental illness.\u00a0 First, you should not let a mental illness define your relationship or change the things you do with your friend. The stability and comfort of sharing time with a friend as you always have is essential. Even if they have resisted repeated invitations in the past, continue to invite them to events or gatherings. Don\u2019t give up on them! Remember, individuals with a mental illness often feel stigmatized, misunderstood, and somehow less than everyone else and as a result, he or she may avoid social contact. \u00a0 \u00a0Second, it is important to be educated about a friend\u2019s mental illness. Most peoples\u2019 understanding of mental illness is shaped by popular media, such as movies and TV. Unfortunately, most of this information, even when presented sympathetically, is inaccurate. However, there are many trustworthy sites on the Internet where one can learn about mental illness and recovery. They include http:\/\/www.samhsa.gov\/ and http:\/\/www.nami.org\/. \u00a0 \u00a0Finally, if you have a friend with a mental illness, express concern and support. Be available to listen, but don\u2019t try to force a conversation. If asked, offer suggestions, but respect your friend\u2019s decisions if they differ from your suggestion. \u00a0 \u00a0Recovery from a mental illness can be a long process in which an individual experiences both successes and recurring obstacles. It is at those moments that your friendship is most important. \u00a0 \u00a0St. Clair County Community Mental Health provides public services and supports to adults with mental illnesses, children with serious emotional disturbances, individuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities and persons with co-occurring substance use disorders.\u00a0 For more information, crisis intervention or to find out if you qualify for public services, please call the Access Center at 1-888-225-4447.\u00a0 Support is available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week.\u00a0 General information is also available at the St. Clair County Community Mental Health website, www.scccmh.org or on the Agency\u2019s Facebook page, www.facebook.com\/SCCCMH.","twitter_image":"http:\/\/ebw.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg","twitter_creator":"@EbwtvNews","twitter_site":"@EbwtvNews","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"St. Clair County Community Mental Health","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/"},"author":{"name":"St. Clair County Community Mental Health","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#\/schema\/person\/350adb82532000aaa81ac9ce8cc426e2"},"headline":"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: The Power of Friendship","datePublished":"2018-07-30T18:48:13+00:00","dateModified":"2018-09-11T20:46:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/"},"wordCount":697,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg","articleSection":["Community"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/","url":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/","name":"Healthy Minds Healthy Bodies: The Power of Friendship","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/healthy-minds-healthy-bodies-friendship\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thumbcoast.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EBW-intro-screen.jpg","datePublished":"2018-07-30T18:48:13+00:00","dateModified":"2018-09-11T20:46:10+00:00","description":"On August 5th, National Friendship Day reminds us how important friends are to our mental well-being. 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