Black History Month

Black History Month

Black History month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements and contributions of African Americans that are so deeply woven into the history of the United States. African American leaders in mental health, government, civil right, the arts, entertainment and sports have influenced generations of Black Americans and taken unprecedented risks to initiate change. Yet, it is important to acknowledge the continued, rampant systemic racism and inequities in wealth, education, criminal justice, and mental health and health care and the impact on the lives of Black Americans.

 

Dr. Anton C. Bizzell, CEO of the Bizzell Group, touches on his own encounters with racism as a Black American physician in this Psychology Today article. He challenges the corporate world to take action to reverse the trauma that Black Americans experience by hiring more Black Americans, offering physical and mental health care resources, and providing supportive work environments that are free of microaggressions.

 

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2021 Predictions on Mental Health As We Continue to Work Remotely

Dr. Anton C. Bizzell addresses in a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) blog post how mental health is being affected as we continue to work remotely well into 2021 and beyond. Working remotely can lead to feelings of loneliness, increased stress, and difficulty concentrating and adjusting to the new work style. Still, we must recognize that remote work is part of the “new normal” and is here to stay as we continue to social distance and control the spread of COVID-19 into 2021, Dr. Bizzell believes. Remote work will very likely remain in some form beyond the pandemic, he writes.

READ MORE: U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF)

State of Mental Health, Part 2: Where we’re headed in 2021

In a recent Psychology Today article, Dr. Anton C. Bizzell shares how COVID-19 affected everyone’s mental health in 2020 and what the predictions and preparations are for 2021. Dr. Bizzell believes that mental health will gain a foothold in the overall healthcare conversation and will be recognized as a global health problem. We must couple hope with action to tackle the mental health effects of the pandemic, Dr. Bizzell writes. With so many around the world touched by COVID, the topic of mental health will finally begin to lose its stigma, he believes.

READ MORE: Psychology Today

Codeine Addiction: 5 Signs You May Have a Problem

Dr. Anton C. Bizzell was interviewed for a recent WebMD article on codeine addiction. Codeine is an opioid—a type of medication with similar effects as morphine—that is often prescribed to treat pain or coughing. In this interview, Dr. Bizzell speaks about how an increasing dependency on codeine can cause you to lose your desire to interact with others and spend your time instead trying to get back the feeling you had when using codeine. This type of behavior is an early sign that you may be developing an addiction. Sudden weight loss, lack of focus, and drowsiness are also signs you may have a problem, Dr. Bizzell notes. Seek help right away for a possible codeine addiction.

READ MORE: WebMD article