May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
May Is Mental Health Awareness Month
Contributor John O’Brien
Insights from NAMI (National Alliance on Mental health)Each year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. During May, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) joins other health care professionals and organizations to nationally raise awareness about mental health, fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.
During Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI will amplify the message of “Together for Mental Health”, to bring voices together to advocate for mental health and access to care through NAMI’s blog, personal stories, videos, digital toolkits, social media engagements and national events.
The stigma around mental health and treatment has long existed, even though this has started to change. Still, people hesitate to seek help or even talk about it with their loved ones for fear of being judged and facing unnecessary backlash. Simple logic dictates that if we are hurt anywhere, we must seek treatment to get better. This applies to both our mental and physical wellbeing.
Mental Health Awareness Month was first celebrated in 1949, commemorated by the Mental Health America organization, which was then known as the National Committee for Mental Hygiene and then later as the National Mental Health Association. The association was founded by Clifford Whittingham Beers. Beers, who was born in 1876 in Connecticut, was one of five children in his family who all suffered from mental illness and psychological distress. Beers went on to author “A Mind That Found Itself”, which is a bestseller even today. Gaining popularity and support from medical professionals, Beers founded the National Committee for Mental Hygiene to find ways to make sure that mental health patients not only received the right care but also did not feel alone in their fight against mental diseases.
Here’s a few tips:
Life Is Challenging — (especially during these tough times)
Life has numerous ups and downs, and the past few years have been especially tough, with COVID-19, work from home mandates, rising inflation, and the terrible war overseas. Some are solvable but others not so much. When your mental health acts up, and becomes debilitating, seek the right treatment and make yourself better because, after all, life has much more to offer than pain and suffering.
Check on Friends and Family
Check up on your friends and family. Many times, all people need is a shoulder to cry on and/or an ear to listen. Pick up the phone, or better yet, drive over and visit in person. Support and encourage them if they are being treated for any mental problems. Find time to laugh.
Openly Talk about Mental Health
One of the best ways to celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month is by talking about it with your peers. The more you talk about it, the more normalized it will become. Like any disease, it is treatable with the help of trained professionals.
Help Spread the Word
Help spread the word about Mental Health Month through awareness, support and becoming an advocate.
Here are some handy links for information and resources.
NAMI
Mental Health America
The LCADA Way
The LCADA Way helps transform individual lives, families and communities suffering from alcohol abuse, substance abuse, problem gambling and behavioral health issues. The LCADA Way, recognized as a Center of Clinical Excellence for education, prevention, and treatment, is committed to empathy, respect, innovative treatment and results. We operate eight locations serving communities in Erie, Medina, Lorain and Cuyahoga counties.
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