Resources
Emergency Phone Numbers
- If you are having a health emergency, please call 911.
- If you are experiencing a medical or mental health related crisis between the hours of 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m, Monday through Friday, please contact the Counseling and Wellness Center at (941) 487-4254, and select “option 1”.
- 24/7 Crisis Counseling Hotline is (941) 487-4254, and select “option 2”.
- National Suicide Prevention Hotline, 24/7 call 988 or 1-800-273-8255, or chat online at https://988lifeline.org
- Crisis Text Line, 24/7, text HOME to 741741
- Trevor Project (LGBTQIA+), 24/7 call 1-888-488-7386 or text START to 678678
Sexual Violence or Domestic Violence
If you are the victim of sexual assault and need immediate assistance, please call the Victim Advocate or Campus Police.
Victim Advocate
(941) 504-8599
Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center
(941) 365-1976
Local Community Mental Health Services
- Centerplace Health (Therapy/Psychiatry), 941-529-0200
- MCR Health (Therapy/Psychiatry), 941-708-8600
- Catholic Charities (Therapy), 941-222-1910
- Lightshare Behavioral Wellness & Recovery (Therapy/Psychiatry), 941-331-2530, option 5
- Centerstone (Therapy/Psychiatry): 941-467-3123
- Jewish Family & Children’s Services (Therapy): 941-366-2224, ext. 116
Support Groups
- NAMI Virtual Support Groups: https://namiflorida.org/calendar
- Recovery International (Mental Health): www.recoveryinternational.org
- Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center: www.pathlightbh.com
Mental Health Mobile Applications
The applications (apps) below are for self-help purposes only and are not intended to replace professional treatment through medical or mental health providers. Check your app store to determine if an app is available through your phone’s platform; many of those listed are available on both iOS and Android. The apps listed may be free or have an associated cost. The inclusion of these apps does not imply that the CWC and/or New College of Florida endorse the content or have affiliations with the developers.
Anxiety Reliever (iOS/Android)
Relax, overcome anxiety and stress and fall asleep faster with the help of Anxiety Reliever. Immerse yourself in a relaxing, supportive and soothing environment. Anxiety Reliever consists of a Collection of Calming Audio Recordings, Helpful Guides, Insightful Anxiety Tracker, Breathe and Supportive Messages.
AnxietyCoach
Tracker: A very important part of overcoming anxiety is identifying your triggers, tracking your habitual thoughts and noticing improvements. It’s a necessary daily tool that helps to identify and evaluate your thinking patterns and anxiety triggers. Sessions: Calming audio sessions will help you to overcome anxiety, relax and fall asleep faster. Each session will guide you through stress and anxiety to feeling better and calmer. Please put on your headphones when listening to binaural audio recordings to experience genuine 360° sound
Breathe2Relax (iOS/Android)
Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing.Breathing exercises have been documented to decrease the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ (stress) response, and help with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management. Breathe2Relax can be used as a stand-alone stress reduction tool, or can be used in tandem with clinical care directed by a healthcare worker. Breathe2Relax now uses HealthKit and your Apple Watch device to measure your heart rate throughout your breathing exercise to help provide an even more complete picture of the relaxation experienced.
iCBT App (iOS)
CBT helps you manage stress and anxiety whenever and wherever you need to. Manage stress and anxieties with iCBT, a personal-use tool for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that is always with you when you need it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a evidenced based psychological therapy for a range of problems including PTSD, panic attacks, generalized anxiety, OCD, and some eating disorders, and is among the most effective for depression and some personality disorders. CBT focuses on correcting distorted thinking patterns and altering behaviors to relieve self-defeating attitudes, reduce symptoms, and improve well-being.
Live OCD Free
Live OCD Free is an interactive application designed to guide users through the only evidence-based treatment, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Available now for the iPhone, this app functions as your personal pocket therapist, available to coach you through your battle with OCD.
MindShift (iOS/Android)
Struggling with anxiety? Tired of missing out? There are things you can do to stop anxiety and fear from controlling your life. MindShift™ is an app designed to help teens and young adults cope with anxiety. It can help you change how you think about anxiety. Rather than trying to avoid anxiety, you can make an important shift and face it.
Pacifica (iOS/Android)
Targeted to help those with anxiety and mood disorders and stress, this app teaches deep breathing, behavioral exercises, help identifying cognitive distortions (negative thinking patterns), and learning how to replace them with positive thinking patterns. Pacifica is a smartphone app for use with iOS 6.0 and above on Apple devices or version 4.0 and above on Android devices. The app provides tools for managing depressed mood, anxiety and stress that are built upon principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, relaxation and health.
Happify (iOS/Android)
Happify is a self-guided app that aims to increase positive emotions through exercises and games supported by positive psychology and mindfulness research. Whether you’re feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or you’re dealing with constant negative thoughts, Happify brings you effective tools and programs to take control of your emotional well-being. Our proven techniques are developed by leading scientists and experts who’ve been studying evidence-based interventions in the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy for decades. Get ready to reduce stress, overcome negative thoughts, and build greater resilience. 86% of people who use Happify regularly report feeling better about their lives in 2 months!
MY3 App (iOS/Android)
With MY3, you define your network and your plan to stay safe. With MY3 you can be prepared to help yourself and reach out to others when you are having thoughts of suicide. My3 Allows you to define a support network and reach out/stay connected when you’re struggling with thoughts of suicide.
iCBT App (iOS/Android)
iCBT helps you manage stress and anxiety whenever and wherever you need to. Manage stress and anxieties with iCBT, a personal-use tool for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that is always with you when you need it. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a evidenced based psychological therapy for a range of problems including PTSD, panic attacks, generalized anxiety, OCD, and some eating disorders, and is among the most effective for depression and some personality disorders. CBT focuses on correcting distorted thinking patterns and altering behaviors to relieve self-defeating attitudes, reduce symptoms, and improve well-being.
MoodTools (iOS/Android)
MoodTools is designed to help you combat depression and alleviate your negative moods, aiding you on your road to recovery. MoodTools contains several different research-supported tools. They include: Thought Diary – Improve your mood by analyzing your thoughts and identifying negative / distorted thinking patterns based on principles from Cognitive Therapy, Activities – Regain your energy by performing energizing activities and tracking your mood before and after, based on Behavioral Activation Therapy, Safety Plan – Develop a suicide safety plan to keep you safe and utilize emergency resources during a suicidal crisis, Information – Read information, self-help guidelines, and find help with internet resources, Test – Take the PHQ-9 depression questionnaire and track your symptom severity over time, & Video – Discover helpful YouTube videos that can improve your mood and behavior, from guided meditations to enlightening TED talks
Pacifica (iOS/Android)
Targeted to help those with anxiety and mood disorders and stress, this app teaches deep breathing, behavioral exercises, identifying cognitive distortions (negative thinking patterns), and learning how to replace them with positive thinking patterns. Pacifica is a smartphone app for use with iOS 6.0 and above on Apple devices or version 4.0 and above on Android devices. The app provides tools for managing depressed mood, anxiety and stress that are built upon principles of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, relaxation and health.
Depression CBT Self-Help Guide (iOS/Android)
Cognitive-behavioral self-help for depression. The natural management of depression involves understanding depression and the factors that contribute to the symptoms. Learning to manage stress in your life and engage in self-care behaviors can improve your symptoms. This app contains a depression severity test with graph, audios, articles, a cognitive diary, and a motivational points system to help you learn and follow the cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) methods.
Positive Thinking (iOS/Android)
Leverage the power of positive thinking to improve your overall mental health. This app offers positive quotes to help you keep your mind focused on positive thoughts. An in-app tool also lets you program the positive messages to appear on your phone any time of day — the perfect pick-me-up!
MoodKit (iOS/Android)
Whenever you’re in a bad mood, you can use MoodKit to try to get out of that funk. With more than 200 mood improvement activities, a journal and thought tracker, and help to modify distressing thoughts, this app is designed to help you feel better. It’s designed by mental health experts and regularly praised for being a useful app to benefit people with depression.
CPT Coach (iOS/Android)
CPT Coach is for Veterans, Service members, and others with PTSD who are participating in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) with a professional mental healthcare provider. This app contains support materials for a complete course of CPT to help patients manage their treatment, including between session assignments, readings, PTSD symptom monitoring, and mobile versions of CPT worksheets. CPT Coach is not intended to be used as self-help without the guidance of a professional mental healthcare provider.
PTSD Coach (iOS/Android)
PTSD Coach was designed for those who have, or may have, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This app provides you with education about PTSD, information about professional care, a self-assessment for PTSD, opportunities to find support, and tools that can help you manage the stresses of daily life with PTSD. Tools range from relaxation skills and positive self-talk to anger management and other common self-help strategies. You can customize tools based on your preferences and can integrate your own contacts, photos, and music. This app can be used by people who are in treatment as well as those who are not.
The Mindfulness App (iOS/Android)
Packed with features, this meditation app includes a five-day guided meditation practice, reminders for when it’s time to relax, and other offers based on individual meditation habits. It can also be integrated with other health apps if users enjoy using their devices to improve their health. If you want to be more mindful and incorporate regular meditation into the day, this app is the gold standard. Purchase more features with a premium subscription.
Headspace (iOS/Android)
Get out of your head or more into it with Headspace, a meditation app that’s ideal for people just starting a meditation routine. Its free trial includes 10 exercises geared toward beginners that can help you learn more about meditation as well as applying it to your life. Check out the personalized progress page, reward system for continued practice, and buddy system that lets users connect with others to stay on track. The vibrant animations add a cute, light-hearted touch to help you understand meditation. More features are available as part of a premium subscription.
Calm (iOS/Android)
Calm offers a wide range of guided meditations to assist people in adding more relaxation into their lives. The selections range from 3-minute to 25-minute sessions. It also includes a feature called Daily Calm, a 10-minute program you can practice before the beginning or end of your day — a great routine to get into. There are also breathing exercises, unguided meditations, sleep stories, and more than 25 soothing sounds to help you improve your sleep. For even more, there’s a premium subscription option.
Insight Timer (iOS/Android)
Check out more than 4,500 free guided meditations from over 1,000 meditation practitioners with this app. It also gives you access to 750 meditation music tracks. Customize your meditation using the background sounds and meditation tool intervals to create a unique experience that works best for you. To listen offline, you can also purchase a monthly subscription.
Stop, Breathe & Think (iOS/Android)
This meditation app boasts more than 55 options for guided meditation selections, so you’ll never get bored with your practice. It also segments exercises according to topics such as sleep, compassion, depression, and anxiety. You can tailor chimes and sounds to your preferences, and record your daily meditation practice to track progress throughout the year. Even more content is available with premium subscription.
10% Happier (iOS/Android)
Not sure if you should try meditation? This app is designed for skeptics who want to try meditation, but want to simplify the process with practical, easy-to-apply content. The exercises aim to help users with anxiety and sleep, and the app always adds new content each week. Apple Health App integration is also available. Users can also get the premium version for over 500 videos and additional content. This was created by the well-known news anchor Dan Harris to help others find more peace in life.
Breethe (iOS/Android)
More meditation tools these days are aimed at beginners because meditation isn’t as common in some areas of the world as others. Breethe has mindfulness and meditation techniques to get people meditating more regularly. The developers say it takes just 10 minutes a day to get into a meditation routine, and the app brings you content for mornings, sleep, and other tailored topics. You can use it for free, forever, or unlock all content with premium subscription.
Omvana (iOS/Android)
In a specific mood and want to find the perfect meditation for it? Or want to meditate based on your stress levels via HealthKit? Choose from a wide range of specialized meditations taught by a variety of instructors. Programs vary in length and you can tailor the background music to meet your preferences. Omvana also features programs to help you become more mindful. The clean interface with appealing graphics makes it easy to choose a track that suits your needs and your mood.
Sleep Hygiene
Developing good sleep hygiene takes practice. Consider these ideas and expert resources.
- Make your bed comfortable.
- Lower the temperature in your room and block out distracting noise.
- Reserve your bed for sleep and intimacy/sex only. Eliminate the use of TV, studying, movies, eating, reading, etc. in bed.
- Practice relaxation techniques before bed. This helps the mind and body relax and prepare for sleep.
- Establish a pre-sleep ritual/routine.
- Take a hot shower/bath 90 minutes before bed.
- Learn more at: Better Health Begins With Better Sleep – Sleep Doctor)
- For information on Insomnia: Insomnia – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic
- Create a bedtime schedule that you can keep routinely and consistently.
- Avoid naps, especially in the afternoons! If you need a nap, consider a power nap that is limited to 20-30 minutes.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine 4-6 hours before bed.
- Exercise regularly- particularly in the afternoon, but not within 2-4 hours of going to bed.
- If you can’t fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up and do something boring in a dimly lit environment until you feel sleepy.
Relaxation Exercises
Practicing relaxation techniques is an excellent way to reduce stress and the physiological tension that accompanies stress.
The Relaxation Response (8 Minutes)
Relaxation on the Beach (6 Minutes)
Mental Imagery Exercise (8 Minutes)
Sensing Scan (3 Minutes)
Sleep Technique (5 Minutes)
Health and Wellness
Eating fruits and vegetables is an easy and delicious way to improve your health. To reduce your risk of cancer, the American Cancer Society recommends five or more servings of fruits and vegetables—along with other foods from plant sources, such as breads, cereals, grains, pasta, and rice—each day.
Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is the best way to get the beneficial vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals in food that help prevent disease, give you energy, and help you feel great. Make your favorite fruits and vegetables more than a garnish—make them the center of a great meal!
Make sure to keep extra fruits and veggies in your room or apartment, you should eat at least five servings of these each day. Keep well hydrated by drinking at least four 16 oz. bottles of water each day, more if you are very physically active. Be conscious of serving sizes, typically a protein serving size is about the size of a deck of playing cards.
Most importantly, try and eat well balanced meals and snacks. Keep snacks in you room or apartment, such as: Yogurt, fruits, cut-up veggies, granola/breakfast bars, pretzels, rice cakes, popcorn, juice, frozen juice bars, low fat milk, crackers and cheese, whole grain cereals.
Breathe Easy New College (Tobacco Cessation Resources)
New College of Florida is a smoke-free campus and has been since July 1, 2020. Smoking is not permitted on campus. Smoking and/or use of any tobacco product is prohibited in all New College buildings, facilities, and New College-owned vehicles.
Here are resources to help quit smoking in order to better your health and well-being, and to promote a tobacco-free environment.
Breathe Easy New College benefits our students, staff and visitors by reducing the direct health impacts of smoking, including secondhand smoke, and promoting a healthy campus environment.
Definitions and Application
“Smoking” means possession of a lighted cigarette, cigar, pipe, water pipe, or hookah or any product consumed in a similar manner; and the use of an unlit cigarette, cigar, pipe, water pipe or hookah, or the use of an electronic cigarette, cigar, pipe, or any other device intended to simulate smoked tobacco.
“Tobacco products” means cigarettes, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco, smokeless pouches, and any other form of loose-leaf, smokeless tobacco.
Smoking and/or use of any tobacco product is prohibited in all New College buildings, facilities, and New College-owned vehicles.
Prior to July 1, 2020, smoking and/or use of any tobacco product on campus is restricted to specific designated areas, or as part of a College approved research or education program. After July 1, 2020, smoking will not be permitted anywhere on the New College campus.
This policy does not apply to public right-of-ways (sidewalks, streets, etc.) on the perimeter of College-owned or -managed property or adjacent property.
Enforcement
All New College employees, students, and visitors to the campus who are not in compliance with these guidelines should be reminded of the guidelines and asked to move to a designated area or discard tobacco products. It is expected that the New College community and visitors will voluntarily adhere to these guidelines. However, repeated violations or refusal to comply with these guidelines will be addressed. Such noncompliance by students will be referred to the Dean of Student, while violations by faculty and staff will be referred to Human Resources. No person who makes a complaint of a violation of these guidelines shall be retaliated against in any manner.
You probably already know that there are serious health consequences to smoking. And, you may also have heard somewhere that secondhand smoke has been shown to cause health problems to those around you. Chances are you know that using tobacco is costing you money, and lots of it. You may have even noticed that more and more restaurants, bars, businesses and public places are going smoke-free. You might even have your own personal reasons for wanting to quit that have nothing to do with health, research, finances or convenience.
The information within these resources help support and motivate you toward a tobacco-free life, or it may just be a tool to reinforce what you already know. In any case, feel free to check out our interactive tools that will show you a little bit about how much you’re spending on tobacco right now, how addicted you are to tobacco, and how your body begins to change the moment you stop smoking. You can also read a little about the health effects that smoking has on your body, as well as those that is having on those around you.
Cost Calculator (link to Cost Of Smoking Calculator (csgnetwork.com)
Secondhand Smoke (link to General Information About Secondhand Smoke (cdc.gov)
20 minutes after quitting: Your heart rate and blood pressure drops. (“Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification,” Mahmud, A, Feely, J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183.)
12 hours after quitting: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1988, p. 202). Your heart rate and blood pressure drops. (“Effect of Smoking on Arterial Stiffness and Pulse Pressure Amplification”, Mahmud, A, Feely, J. 2003. Hypertension:41:183.)
2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: Your circulation improves and your lung function increases. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Office.)
1 to 9 months after quitting: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia (tiny hair-like structures that move mucus out of the lungs) regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to handle mucus, clean the lungs, and reduce the risk of infection. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp. 285-287, 304.)
1 year after quitting: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p. vi.)
5 years after quitting: Your stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p. vi.)
10 years after quitting: The lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s. The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, pp. vi, 131, 148, 152, 155, 164,166.)
15 years after quitting: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s. (U.S. Surgeon General’s Report, 1990, p. vi.)
Note that all of the information linked to here has been collected from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov)
Tobacco Free Florida offers free tools and services, like 24/7 access to a coach and online resources to build personalized quit plans, plus a 4-week supply of nicotine patches and gum, or nicotine patches and lozenges mailed to you.
We know quitting tobacco isn’t easy, but finding help should be. Our quit services can double or triple your chances of success. With the right help, resources, and the support to keep you going, you will have the best chance to quit for good. Call 1-866-534-7909 or visit Tobacco Free Florida (link to Tobacco Free Florida | Smoking Cessation Information & Programs) for more information and support.