Blake Pennington

Blake Pennington
May is Mental Health Month: Fighting the Stigma

May is Mental Health Month: Fighting the Stigma

The National Institute of Mental Health says that mental health conditions affect 1 in 10 Americans, with less than 25% of those seeking help. Statistics also indicate 6.9% of American adults live with major depression. Mental Health Month exists to defy stigma and create a culture of people who are aware of their options and … Read More

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

April is Alcohol Awareness Month, and according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States with 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffering from alcohol abuse or dependence. More than half of all adults have a family history of … Read More

March is National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month

Can you count your grandmother’s beloved bread pudding as a healthy recipe? As delicious as it may be with 4 cups of whole milk, one stick of butter and four eggs, you probably wouldn’t find it on a list of healthy recipes. March is National Nutrition Month, so as we celebrate, think of ways you … Read More

The Best Valentine's Gift: Heart Health

The Best Valentine’s Gift: Heart Health

February is a great time to commit or recommit to making healthier lifestyle changes that can have lasting effects on the quality of your life. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women and men in the United States, killing 1 in 4. African Americans are at the highest risk for heart disease … Read More

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week: Drug Abuse

National Drug & Alcohol Facts Week: Drug Abuse

The gateway Taking a friend or family member’s prescription painkiller once or twice may seem innocent, but the ramifications could be more severe than you think. Some take painkillers for a quick high, thinking it is safer than taking an illicit drug such as ecstasy. What many people don’t realize, however, is opiates, drugs like … Read More

Managing Stress During the Holiday Season

Managing Stress During the Holiday Season

The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration for many, but for others, it can be just the opposite. This is a hard time of the year for a lot of people. Many times, stress and depression around the holidays are actually a result of our expectations. Expectations that the holiday will be … Read More

Heroin & Opioid Awareness Week

Heroin & Opioid Awareness Week

Alarming statistics make the rising problem of prescription use notable. For example, in one Southeastern County in six months of this year, 51 people died of heroin overdose, 46 died of fentanyl overdose and 15 died from an overdose of prescription painkillers. It’s important to remember that the problem of addiction rarely starts with heroin; … Read More

Emotional Reactions After a Traumatic Event

Emotional Reactions After a Traumatic Event

In light of recent tragedies in the news, BHS has put together the below information on coping with traumatic events. After experiencing and learning about the recent tragedies in the Orlando-area, it is normal to have a flood of emotions. It is important to understand the reactions you may experience in the following days and … Read More

Faces of Autism

Faces of Autism

Autism Has Many Faces. So, what does it look like? Even for an expert, the answer is not always clear. That’s because autism isn’t just one disorder. Instead, it’s a spectrum disorder, a set of issues that can be mild, severe or anywhere in between. Autism is called a developmental disability because it starts during … Read More