With less then 12 hours to the start of the 2012 Cartoon-a-thon for mental health heroes, it’s always good to reflect and remember some of our heroes from last year.

They are still heroes today! Here are some of last year’s Mental Health Month’s cartoon-a-thon Mental Health Heroes!!!

I… love it! You are so talented….and what a great message this campaign of yours highlights. So wonderful that your 8 yr old little girl loves creating too. It’s a great gift to be creative… Chato, thanks for the cartoon tribute. It’s a wonderful campaign to honor Mental Health Awareness Month. I’m delighted to be included in the list of heroes. And tell your daughter I love her rendition!

~Dr. Deb

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A Window To Laughter and Certification
Since when did laughter become a billable therapy? There are a few locations where you can actually get certified as a Laugh Therapist or a Doctor of Mirth.

While I love the idea – the idea of using humor (laughing) to deal with stress and many other issues that come up in life, it’s not a new thing. Laughter can help in the healing process of Depression, Bipolar Disorder and many other mental health issues. What strikes me as NOT funny is the price tag of some of these classes or programs have to get “certified.” It makes me laugh – mostly cause I can’t afford any of them!

This is a situation I’ve come across a few times in my life. For example; I cleaned windows for 25 years. I remember the window cleaning industry getting all up in arms about “certification” for window cleaners. On one popular forum in the late 90′s, I remember one member saying something to the effect “OH PLEASE, maybe when robots clean windows!” That became a running joke.

Who would be doing the certification? Who would enforce the violations and on and on? Back in 80′s and 90′s it seemed like a joke. Thirty years later, there are many certifications for the “professional” window cleaner. They are designed to educate window cleaners. Here are a few:

Do you have an unhealthy lifestyle? Apparently, according to Dr. Oz’s Transformation Nation survey/test, I have one…

Unhealthy Lifestyle

Chato, your lifestyle habits could be hurting your health and your quality of life. But this is probably not news to you.

(Chato says: I know. It’s not new to me. At the beginning of this year, I weighed 380 pounds. My Diabetes was out of control, staying above 250 to 378 for almost 2 weeks. My cholesterol and high blood pressure had taken a toll. In short, I was a heart attack waiting to happen. Suicide by Apathy!)

You’re just not sure what to do about it. No problem. We’re here to help [Dr  Oz and ShareCare.com] you get started. The first step to improving your lifestyle, your health, and the way you feel is to think about what needs changing.

(Chato says: I recognized in December 2011 that I was in fact being very apathetic about my health. It was suicide by apathy; I could really care less if I lived or died. It’s the worst type of suicidal ideation or suicidal attempt, since you really could care less and no one really recognizes it as a suicidal attempt or ideation. But let me say this (and I’m sure I’ll get a lot of comments.) -  if you are like me and stuff food in your face to deal with your emotions, you are in fact committing suicide by apathy!)

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