UMAC Corner: An Injury to One Is an Injury to All

Life events continually remind us of how much we depend on each other. The Union Member Assistance Coordinators’ program serves the membership in many ways. Most importantly, we help our brothers and sisters cope with tragedies in their lives.  We believe that a burden shared is a burden lessened.  By sticking together and providing positive emotional support based on our experiences, we help each other get through difficult times in our lives and begin the healing process.  That’s our mission!
Don’t walk away from a brother or sister who is hurting. Learn to reach out and become part of the solution.  Remember that, “People don’t care what you know, until they know that you care.”
It is our union’s trademark. We can’t ignore our problems. Stop, listen and support those in need, as caring union members.  Keep in mind always this adage, “As long as the ties that bind us together are stronger than those that will tear us apart, all will be well.”
 
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) Facts:
By 2020, mental and substance use disorders will surpass all physical diseases as a major cause of disability worldwide.
Half of all lifetime cases of mental and substance use disorders begin by age 14 and three-fourths by age 24
More than 34,000 Americans die every year as a result of suicide, approximately one every 15 minutes.
Each year, approximately 5,000 youth under the age of 21 die as a result of underage drinking. The annual total estimated societal cost of substance abuse in the Unites States is $510.8 billion. The total economic costs of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders among youth in the United States is approximately $247billion.
Among persons aged 12 and older who used prescription pain relievers non-medically in the past 12 months, 55.9 percent got them from a friend or relative for free.
Member assistance contact:  umac@smart-union.org