Published on Oct 25, 2023 | 2:32 PM
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What Is Red Ribbon Week?
Red Ribbon Week is a national drug and alcohol prevention awareness campaign observed annually in the United States, typically during the last week of October. It is designed to promote healthy, drug-free lifestyles among children, adolescents, families, and communities.
The campaign encourages education, open conversation, and community involvement around substance use prevention, with a strong emphasis on youth awareness and early intervention.
Red Ribbon Week began in 1985 following the death of DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who was killed while investigating drug trafficking. In response, communities started wearing red ribbons to honor his sacrifice and to symbolize a commitment to living drug-free.
What started as a grassroots movement grew into the largest drug prevention campaign in the United States, supported by schools, families, healthcare organizations, and community groups nationwide.
The red ribbon serves as a visible symbol of:
Awareness of substance misuse and its impact
Commitment to healthy, drug-free choices
Support for prevention education and community responsibility
Wearing a red ribbon represents a personal and collective pledge to make safe, healthy decisions.
Substance use often begins during adolescence, making early education and prevention critical. Red Ribbon Week provides an opportunity to start age-appropriate conversations about drugs, alcohol, peer pressure, and decision-making.
Research consistently shows that prevention programs focused on education, family involvement, and skill-building can reduce risky behaviors and support long-term health outcomes.
Red Ribbon Week is observed by:
Schools and educators
Students of all ages
Parents and families
Community organizations
Healthcare providers
Activities may include school assemblies, classroom discussions, themed spirit days, educational materials, and community events focused on prevention and wellness.
Healthcare providers play an important role in substance use prevention by offering education, screening, and early support. Routine conversations about mental health, stress, and coping strategies help identify risk factors before substance misuse develops.
Access to confidential medical guidance also reduces stigma and encourages individuals and families to seek help when concerns arise.
Call-On-Doc supports prevention and education by providing accessible, judgment-free healthcare for individuals and families.
Through telehealth, patients can:
Discuss concerns about substance use or mental health
Receive screening and education
Access care early without barriers or stigma
Healthcare that fits your life — not your calendar.
updated 01/26/2026 Shelly House, FNP, is a Family Nurse Practitioner and Call-On-Doc’s trusted medical education voice. With extensive experience in telehealth and patient-centered care, Ms. House is dedicated to making complex health topics simple and accessible. Through evidence-based content, provider collaboration, and a passion for empowering patients, her mission is to break down barriers to healthcare by delivering clear, compassionate, and practical medical guidance.
Stopped Your Mental Health Medication? What to Know Before Starting Again
You stopped your medication.
Maybe you felt better.
Maybe the side effects bothered you.
Maybe you forgot a few doses, then a few more.
Maybe life simply got busy.
And now your symptoms are returning.
So you look at the bottle and think:
“Can I just start taking it again?”
Sometimes a mental health medication can be restarted—but you shouldn't automatically assume that restarting your previous dose is the right or safest approach.
How long you've been off the medication matters.
So does the medication itself, your previous dose, why you stopped, how you tolerated it before, your current symptoms, and whether anything else about your health or medications has changed.
If you've been off a prescription mental health medication and want to restart, contacting a healthcare provider first can help determine the appropriate next step.
Oct 02, 2026 | 1:49 PM
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How Do You Know When Mental Health Treatment Is Actually Working?
You started treatment.
Maybe you're taking medication.
Maybe you're going to therapy.
Maybe you're doing both.
And now you're wondering:
“How do I know if this is actually working?”
Mental health improvement isn't always dramatic.
You may not suddenly wake up feeling completely different.
Instead, progress can look like:
Getting out of bed a little easier
Sleeping more consistently
Having fewer overwhelming thoughts
Recovering faster after a difficult day
Feeling less anxious in situations you used to avoid
Having enough energy to do things you've been putting off
Feeling more connected to people around you
Handling stress without immediately feeling like you're falling apart
Sometimes other people notice the change before you do.
And sometimes the most important sign isn't that difficult emotions disappeared.
It's that they stopped controlling as much of your life.
Oct 02, 2026 | 1:27 PM
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What Happens When You Stop Weight Loss Medication?
You've lost weight.
Your clothes fit differently.
Maybe your energy has improved.
And now you're wondering:
“What happens if I stop the medication?”
For people taking prescription weight loss medications—including GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 medications—stopping treatment may allow some of the effects that helped with weight loss to fade.
Appetite may increase.
You may feel hungry sooner after meals.
Food cravings may become more noticeable.
And some people regain some or a significant amount of the weight they lost.
That doesn't mean the medication “failed.”
And it doesn't mean you failed either.
Obesity is a chronic condition influenced by biology, genetics, environment, behavior, sleep, medications, hormones, and many other factors.
The goal shouldn't simply be:
“How fast can I lose weight?”
It should also be:
“How am I going to maintain it?”
Oct 02, 2026 | 12:50 PM
Read More
Stopped Your Mental Health Medication? What to Know Before Starting Again
You stopped your medication.
Maybe you felt better.
Maybe the side effects bothered you.
Maybe you forgot a few doses, then a few more.
Maybe life simply got busy.
And now your symptoms are returning.
So you look at the bottle and think:
“Can I just start taking it again?”
Sometimes a mental health medication can be restarted—but you shouldn't automatically assume that restarting your previous dose is the right or safest approach.
How long you've been off the medication matters.
So does the medication itself, your previous dose, why you stopped, how you tolerated it before, your current symptoms, and whether anything else about your health or medications has changed.
If you've been off a prescription mental health medication and want to restart, contacting a healthcare provider first can help determine the appropriate next step.
Oct 02, 2026 | 1:49 PM
How Do You Know When Mental Health Treatment Is Actually Working?
You started treatment.
Maybe you're taking medication.
Maybe you're going to therapy.
Maybe you're doing both.
And now you're wondering:
“How do I know if this is actually working?”
Mental health improvement isn't always dramatic.
You may not suddenly wake up feeling completely different.
Instead, progress can look like:
Getting out of bed a little easier
Sleeping more consistently
Having fewer overwhelming thoughts
Recovering faster after a difficult day
Feeling less anxious in situations you used to avoid
Having enough energy to do things you've been putting off
Feeling more connected to people around you
Handling stress without immediately feeling like you're falling apart
Sometimes other people notice the change before you do.
And sometimes the most important sign isn't that difficult emotions disappeared.
It's that they stopped controlling as much of your life.
Oct 02, 2026 | 1:27 PM
What Happens When You Stop Weight Loss Medication?
You've lost weight.
Your clothes fit differently.
Maybe your energy has improved.
And now you're wondering:
“What happens if I stop the medication?”
For people taking prescription weight loss medications—including GLP-1 or GIP/GLP-1 medications—stopping treatment may allow some of the effects that helped with weight loss to fade.
Appetite may increase.
You may feel hungry sooner after meals.
Food cravings may become more noticeable.
And some people regain some or a significant amount of the weight they lost.
That doesn't mean the medication “failed.”
And it doesn't mean you failed either.
Obesity is a chronic condition influenced by biology, genetics, environment, behavior, sleep, medications, hormones, and many other factors.
The goal shouldn't simply be:
“How fast can I lose weight?”
It should also be:
“How am I going to maintain it?”
Oct 02, 2026 | 12:50 PM
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