Mental Health Awareness Month

May is a time to raise awareness of those living with mental or behavioral health issues and to help reduce the stigma associated with these struggles. It’s also a great opportunity to discuss mental health with those you care about. Having open, honest discussions is the first step to strong mental health.

How Can Mental Health Awareness Help?

 1) Bring Awareness to Mental Health Symptoms

Mental health awareness initiatives help those who are suffering to understand how the symptoms of mental health disorders manifest. This allows individuals to seek treatment before their condition worsens and prevents significant disruptions to their social or work life. When individuals recognize their symptoms and seek help early, they are more likely to recover completely, experience fewer complications, and most importantly live longer. In addition, the more the general population knows about mental illness and its symptoms, the easier it is for them to identify people who may be struggling and get them the necessary care. Educate yourself about mental health: Having better knowledge about common disorders will help you understand where others are coming from and how to interact with them in a compassionate, helpful manner.

2) Breaks the Mental Health Stigma

Mental health awareness initiatives aim at raising public knowledge of mental health disorders, reducing stigma and fostering positive attitudes towards seeking help. Mental health awareness helps people understand that mental illness is NOT a character flaw but rather an illness like any other. Having better knowledge about common disorders will further reduce discriminatory practices, create greater acceptance across communities, and lead to people who suffer from mental illness feeling comfortable sharing their stories. Help break the stigma! Remove the negative associations from this issue in society through your everyday interactions with your friends, family members, colleagues at work, and even strangers around you.

3) Improves Access to Care

When communities and states invest in mental health services, they ensure that the necessary treatment is available for those who need it. If enough people seek help, the mental health services may have to expand to meet the needs of individuals. For example, the prevalence of common forms of mental illnesses among children and adolescents make youth one of the most important audiences for mental health programs. This makes school settings a great place to provide education about mental health disorders as well as raise awareness about common warning signs so those struggling can seek help before their condition worsens. Spreading awareness enables schools to identify children who need help and get them the mental health care they need. Become an advocate! Share this information with your community, friends and family members to help create more awareness surrounding mental health issues.