The first full week of October, October 1st-7th, marks Mental Illness Awareness Week! During this week, we recognize the efforts of the National Alliance on Mental Illness to educate, increase awareness, and decrease the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Congress officially established every first full week of October as Mental Illness Awareness week, 33 years ago in 1990. Since then, advocates of mental illness have come together to sponsor activities every year that educate the public about mental illness. Read more

Chronic pain is pain that lasts for over 3 months — it can be there all the time, or it may come and go. Chronic pain can come in many different forms and appear in different areas of your body. Some common types of this pain include arthritis, back pain, neck pain, cancer pain, headaches (including migraines), muscle pain, and so on. Those who experience chronic pain describe their pain in different ways, including aching, burning, shooting, squeezing, stiffness, stinging, and throbbing. Read more