Celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. This month is a time for all of us to put extra energy into our awareness and education surrounding mental health, and support ourselves and those around us who deal with mental health issues.

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is being in a state mental wellbeing. Just like our physical health, our mental health requires continuous effort, upkeep, and attention. Mental health is also a concern for all of us, not just those of us who deal with mental disorders. For all of us to feel our best and be our healthiest, mental health needs to be a priority.

How Common is Mental Illness?

1 in 5 people will experience mental illness at some point in our lives, that represents 20 percent of people. In addition to that, all of us face serious stressors and events in our lives that affect our mental health. With that, mental illness is very common, and likely all of us will need some type of support for maintaining our mental health at some point in our lives.

Is There a Stigma Around Mental Health?

Mental health and mental health issues have had stigmas attached to them for a long time. While things are improving, many people are still not comfortable talking about mental health or any kind of mental health concern.

This is clearly seen when you think of how readily people talk about physical ailments (like a cold or a broken bone), but far fewer people are so ready to speak about their mental health issues (like anxiety or depression). This stigma can make it really difficult for people to acknowledge that they need help and to actually seek out the support they need. (We will cover stigma more in a future blog).

How Do We Increase Mental Health Awareness?

Our first step toward increasing mental health awareness is to start talking about it. Mental health is something that should be a part of our daily life, and should be something that is openly spoken about. Starting the conversation will begin to show that everyone needs to prioritize mental health and that all of us can, and probably will, struggle with our own mental health concerns at some point in our lives.

Things You Can Do to Get Involved

Start the conversation about mental health with friends and family

Share the Mental Health Awareness Ribbon or the WhyCare Logo on your social media platforms

Educate yourself on mental illnesses and learn to recognize when someone may need support

Keep crisis resources on hand, such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) hotline number (800)950-NAMI and the Crisis Text Line (text 741-741).