by Philip Payne | Feb 26, 2021 | Tele-Behavioral Health Series
Stigma, defined by the Mayo Clinic as “when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be a disadvantage”, is prevalent in the behavioral health field. Many people face stigma before, during and after their journey to improved behavioral health.
According to the American Psychological Association, “More than half of people with mental illness don’t seek help for their disorders. Often, people avoid or delay seeking treatment due to concerns about being treated differently or fears of losing their jobs and livelihood. That’s because stigma, prejudice and discrimination against people with mental illness is still very much a problem.” Additionally, stigma does not only keep many people from ever reaching out for help with their behavioral health, but it can also slow or even reverse the progress that those who do reach out for help have made. People may become embarrassed if their situation with behavioral health becomes known, and it may cause them to stop seeking help from a specialist. Others may not keep up their behavioral health routine of self-care for fear it will make them stand out or be ridiculed.
Stigma for behavioral health is all around us, from the medias portrayal to decreased federal funding for research and development of cures. Stigma can be found in the workplace, at school, within friend groups or even families. Although the problem seems pervasive, there is hope.
Apportis eliminates the feeling of anxiety that someone may see you walking into a behavioral health clinic and the need to ask for time off of work to see a specialist, something many were hesitant to do as they believed it may lead to their boss thinking differently of them. The Apportis platform brings behavioral health to you, with a secure and HIPAA compliant video connection to a case manager or other behavioral health specialist. The platform is loaded with resources that can be browsed from the comfort of your own home. Apportis is an intuitive platform that does not need WIFI, so those of all ages, skill levels, and circumstances can benefit from the extra layer of privacy that Apportis adds to your behavioral health journey. It also eliminates barriers to transportation, childcare, bad weather and even COVID. The main thing Apportis does, however, is allow you to pursue health without the fear of stigma.
Coming from a family of social service providers, I have been exposed to people in crisis my whole life, many of whom were embarrassed to ask for help because stigma is still so prevalent in our society. Looking back, there are many instances I can recall which the Apportis platform would have been invaluable for these people, allowing them to pursue behavioral health care from the comfort, safety and privacy of their own home. Never be embarrassed to ask for help, as it is a sign of strength rather than a weakness. Reach out and see what Apportis can do for you on your path to health.
Author: Page Jennings
by Eric Ulchakere | May 20, 2020 | Health
Good morning, and welcome to the new “What is…?” series on the Apportis blog! Every Monday, I’ll post a quick and easy to read informational article about an important topic in healthcare. Today’s topic is….(drumroll please)…wellness!
The Merriam-Webster definition of wellness is:
“The quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.”
Some synonyms are “sap,” “fitness,” and “heartiness.” Just for fun, the antonyms are “illness,” “sickness,” and “unsoundness.”
If wellness means actively seeking good health…what does that look like? What exactly is the difference between health and wellness, anyway?
The World Health Organization says that “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” while wellness is the “active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.”
In other words, wellness is the continual effort to try to be healthy. Since everyone is on different places in their wellness journey, here are a few things that you can do to put more focus on your own personal wellness:
- For one day, log what you’re eating: are you eating enough whole foods? Do you eat a lot of salty food in the mid-afternoon? Take stock of what you’re putting in your body so you can figure out if you can make any adjustments (cut out pop, limit sugar) in order to care for your body a little more.
- Incorporate thirty minutes of “you time” somewhere in your day. Whether that means bringing a book at lunch, or waking up early to do yoga, dedicating a part of your day to your own wellness will be sure to shape your day for the better.
- Learn how to make your wellness a priority, even if that means canceling some plans.
TLDR; Wellness is the journey toward a healthy lifestyle. And just like all journeys, it happens one step at a time.
by Eric Ulchakere | May 20, 2020 | Health
A work colleague sent a published Harvard Business Review article to me via email. It is a great picture of where we currently are and which direction we should be heading.
Article: How to Design a Corporate Wellness Plan That Actually Works, by Hector De La Torre & Ron Goetzel, Ph.D., MARCH 31, 2016
In response to the topics covered in this article, Apportis’ Health & Wellness Platform, launched Spring 2018, offers a strategy to build a health culture, with realistic metrics, campaigns, bulletins, smart incentives, live coaching, and much more, ultimately offering real ROI (Return On Investment) and VOI (Value On Investment).
Contact us for more details.
by Eric Ulchakere | May 20, 2020 | Health
Tomorrow – Thursday, January 25, 2018 – is the first Wellness Workplace Summit to be held by our partner: The Wellness Collective.
The Wellness Summit 2018
This is a one-day conference on how to create a thriving, high-performance culture by focusing on health and well-being in the workplace.
This subject is so important nowadays from all different angles with all of the strategy to benefit the employee in their private and professional lives.
APPORTIS will be at the Summit. Please stop by and see us.
Recent Comments