Mental Health Awareness Month
How are you? A simple question asked millions of times every single day. And, the typical reply is...fine. How many of us are guilty of this basic and heartless reply of fine? I know I am! Fine is what keeps the questioner moving down the hallway rather than stopping to poke and prod into your life. Fine is what helps me get through my day as I tell myself over and over again that I am fine. However; most of us are not fine. Most of us are struggling in some way. The National Alliance on Mental Health reports that one in five U.S. adults struggles with their mental health. I know that I am the one out of five.
Mental Health Awareness Month has been every May since 1949. Created to help lower the stigma around mental health in our country. So, what does it mean to have a stigma around mental health? Stigma is a mark of disgrace associated with something. In this case, it is some form of mental illness. Because so many people misunderstand mental health or feel shame around their struggles only 40% of Americans seek treatment for their mental illness.
Your struggles with depression, anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, or anything else do not make you less of a person. We all have a body, therefore we all have physical health. We all have a brain, therefore we all have mental health. Just like how our bodies can get sick, so can our brains. We don’t think twice about seeing a doctor when we have the flu, so why are we so unsure about seeing someone when our mental health is in jeopardy?
Start a conversation today with someone about mental health, help to lower the stigma! If you are unsure where to start, ask them how they are and do not let them use fine as an answer. Be a good listener and a good friend. And, if they need more our SoulMedics are ready to have a conversation 24/7. Lower the stigma around mental health and see a change in our world!
Written by Tiffany Careins
