Though Mental Health Awareness Month has ended, the need for practical mental health resources remains acute, according to volunteers from the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Ventura who conducted a community outreach event at the Ventura Pier Boardwalk over the weekend. The event, part of a coordinated global effort, aimed to provide residents with tools to manage stress and emotional well-being, responding to data from a Pew Research study indicating that roughly half of American adults under 30 find managing stress a major challenge, and one in three rate their mental health as only fair or poor. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also released a report in May declaring a mental health crisis among the nation's youth.
The outreach coincided with the anniversary of the book "Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health" by L. Ron Hubbard, first published in 1950. Over 75 years later, more than 20 million copies of the book are in circulation, and the movement reaches 225 countries and territories. The word Dianetics, derived from Greek meaning "through" and "mind or soul," refers to what the mind is doing to the body.
Volunteers offered free stress tests and answered questions from residents, students, and families, helping them discover the book's approach to addressing the source of stress, anxiety, and unwanted emotions. One visitor, recently laid off, experienced significant anxiety affecting his family. After a stress test, he realized he needed to take charge of his life, purchased a copy of the book, and scheduled a complimentary Dianetics counseling session.
"Mental health awareness should not end when May ends; mental health is essential year round," said Nancy Herman, a volunteer with the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Ventura. "People we met were dealing with work pressure, family concerns, financial anxiety and the everyday stress of life in Ventura. Dianetics gives them a practical way to understand the source of that stress and tools they can use to take control of it."
The Ventura activity was part of a global Dianetics outreach involving volunteers in over 250 cities across 50 nations, from Los Angeles to London and New York to New Delhi. Teams offered the book, which is translated into 50 languages, and extended invitations to local lectures and seminars.
The Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Ventura provides introductory demonstrations and weekend Dianetics Seminars. For more information, visit www.dianetics.org.
