Anxiety amongst children and adults has reached endemic proportions, particularly as OHEL Therapist Dr Chana Renov indicates, “Because we live an ever more complicated, demanding and transformative world.”
And the statistics bare out this stark reality. As David Mandel, OHEL CEO indicates “Of the thousands of individuals OHEL serves every day, over 650 are challenged by some form of anxiety.”
And for many in the community, this is compounded by ever-increasing financial stresses, marital strains, parenting challenges in a social media age, caregiving of a loved one and/or a traumatic life event – from divorce, the loss of a loved one, to a sudden or significant medical diagnosis.
Coinciding with the opening of The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus in Flatbush, and leveraging decades of experience in the effective treatment of anxiety and depression, OHEL has embraced a powerful message in Sign of Strength.org. As OHEL’s Director of Communications Derek Saker elaborates, “The message we seek to convey is that talking about emotions and mental health, should no longer be seen as a sign of weakness, but a Sign of Strength.”
The campaign both raises awareness of the many forms of anxiety, and the readily available professional treatment to effectively manage anxiety amongst children and adult.
The initial launch of the campaign has included the video Sign of Strength, which details the inspiring stories of two courageous individuals – a child Shani and an adult Yitty, who share their transformative life experiences in proactively confronting and effectively managing their anxiety.
This powerful film can be seen at SignofStrength.org.
Sign of Strength is a multi-integrated campaign, including a new website of comprehensive resources, help and advice, a print and social media campaign.
In addition to both promote this anxiety awareness campaign, and the opening of The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus, OHEL has launched a significant bus shelter campaign in Brooklyn, which has been funded in part through a generous grant from The New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). The billboards according to Frumi Meisels of iCatchMedia are already the “Talk of town – given their use of real people and eye-catching message.”
OHEL has also launched a new song “Let It Go” composed with OHEL and Lipa Schmeltzer – which was also debuted at the OHEL Gala and is FREELY available for download at SignofStrength.org. The accompanying music video will also shortly be released.
There are many dimensions to effectively treating personal anxiety, not least professional and compassionate therapists.
But importantly it also takes a safe and comforting environment where an individual challenged by anxiety can feel relaxed, and comfortable in talking about their emotions, their lives and inner most challenges.
OHEL is also spearheading a campaign that specifically addresses the increasing anxiety in schools amongst children and students, and will be working with educators and parents to raise greater awareness of early detection and treatment, and help develop better coping and resilience skills – so that everyday children challenged by anxiety today or perhaps tomorrow – can thrive.
An educational video has also been developed which includes interviews with a cross-spectrum of educators and psychologists including As Dr Rayzel Yaish, Clinical Psychologist and Guidance Director at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School for Girls, who comments that “Students today face a tremendous amount of pressure because of high expectations.”
OHEL’s regional centers from The New OHEL Jaffa Family Campus in Flatbush, to The Kleinman Family OHEL Regional Family Center in Far Rockaway, all offer specialized care and treatment and can be accessed through 1800-603- OHEL, www.signofstrength.org and through [email protected]
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
One Response
If you don’t suffer from anxiety, you likely have no idea how debilitating it is. A person suffers with this all while TRYING to be a good parent, spouse, businessman or kollel yungerman. It is torture, literally torture. I know because I live with it every minute of my life. I don’t wish it on anyone.
One thing I will say; as a parent, just know that you have the power to destroy your child’s life.
My mother destroyed mine. I will never forget.
Take the time; get to know and- lovingly- understand your child. They need you so much, even if they don’t show it. Your words will make, or break, their world, possibly with little hope of reversal.