MENTAL HEALTH
Together, empowerment is possible.
Together, let's challenge the stigma of mental health issues and empower people to get the help they need.
Without fear of judgement, seclusion, or bias.
By introducing people to the outdoor environment, we can help prevent and support mental health issues and provide a community where people can get support.
The HKOutsider Foundation has a community support approach to mental wellness. We believe that community support and environmental connection for people living with mental health conditions can foster healing, growth, freedom, and self-actualization.
ABOUT MENTAL WELLNESS
One in four people will experience mental health challenges in their lives; it is not as uncommon as people may think. Mental illnesses can affect people of any age, race, religion, or income.
A mental illness is a medical condition that disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others and daily functioning.
Mental illness is a broad term that includes a variety of conditions. Including but not limited to: schizophrenia; bipolar disorder; anxiety disorders; depression; dissociation and dissociative identity disorder (DID); eating disorders; personality disorders; schizoaffective disorder; borderline personality disorder; drugs, alcohol, and mental health; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); psychosis; obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); and borderline personality disorder.
Depression is the most common mental illness in the world. The Centers for Disease Control in the United States calculates the number of people suffering from depression at 350 million. The World Bank considers it “the greatest thief of productive economic life,” with yearly global costs at U.S. $2.5 trillion.
Clinical depression can sometimes lead to suicide. An estimated 1 million people worldwide die by suicide every year. Globally, suicide ranked among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 years, and attempted suicides are up to 20 times more frequent than completed ones.
Therefore, our foundation has chosen to focus efforts on depression and anxiety disorders in the mental health space.
If you are interested in how HKOutsider can support you and your organization with mental health workshops, events, training and CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs please contact: adventure@hkoutsider.com
HOW DOES THE ENVIRONMENT IMPACT OUR WELL-BEING?
The stress of a disagreeable environment can cause people to feel anxious, sad, and helpless. This can elevate blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension and suppresses your immune system. An agreeable environment reverses that.
Being in nature, or even viewing wilderness scenes, reduces anger, fear, and stress and increases pleasant feelings. Exposure to nature not only makes you feel better emotionally, but it also contributes to your physical wellbeing, reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and the production of stress hormones.
HKOutsider has had the opportunity to see this firsthand through our outdoor adventures with diverse groups of individuals.
HOW DOES COMMUNITY
IMPACT OUR WELL-BEING?
Being part of a community can have very positive effects on mental health. It helps in three main ways:
Belonging
Community involvement provides a sense of belonging and social connectedness. It can also offer extra meaning and purpose to everyday life. HKOutsider welcomes everyone; we embrace individuals from a variety of backgrounds and encourage them to be themselves and showcase their unique qualities.
Support
Knowing people support you can help you feel cared for and safe and positively affect your outlook on life. HKOutsider provides a safe space where people will have the opportunity to speak to one another to help them navigate through difficult situations.
Purpose
In every community, people naturally fill different roles. These roles can give you a sense of purpose through bettering other people’s lives. And by having purpose and helping others, you help give individuals meaning to life.
What can I do?
If you have any experience in the fields of Mental Health, Psychology, Experiential Learning, or Adventure Therapy and would like to be involved, please reach out to us at adventure@hkoutsider.com.
Spread awareness about mental health so together, we can create a behavioral change and societal support for the actions needed to tackle this issue.
The community is only as strong as the individuals in it, all for one and one for all.