In 1990 the United States Congress established Mental Illness Awareness Week, also known as Mental Health Awareness Week. The idea behind this was to increase awareness of mental illness, and to educate the public about mental health. It takes place the first full week of October every year. Whether you’ve stumbled onto this post during, before, or after Mental Health Awareness Week, we should all take a stand for stopping the stigma surrounding and related to Mental Illness. Below you’ll learn how you can help to do just that.
Don’t Fuel The Flames
Roughly one in four adults are believed to be diagnosable with a mental health issue in any given year. This number could actually be larger, but there are so many negative connotations related to mental health, that some of the people who need the most help never report their symptoms.
Jokes about mental health, rude comments, and general ignorance of the facts related to mental health issues leads to the spreading of myths and outright falsehoods on the subject. Your best bet to help in this is to educate yourself, and stop the myths and misunderstandings in their tracks.
A smaller fire is always easier to put out than a big one is. So, if you hear something you know is wrong, set the record straight. To squash the incorrect information is to put out the proverbial fire that can all too easily get out of control.
Spread The Truth
As the National Alliance on Mental Illness states, “Stigma is 100% curable. Compassion, empathy and understanding are the antidote. Your voice can spread the cure.”
Just a few of the resources you can use to educate yourself about the realities of mental health include, but aren’t limited to:
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- National Institute of Mental Health
- Mental Health America
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
The more you learn, the more you can spread the truth. Maybe it’s something as simple as sharing an infographic you find on Pinterest. Or perhaps you’ll be bold enough to share the resources you see with your friends and colleagues on Facebook, Twitter and on LinkedIn. The goal here is to stop the stigma and educate the public. There can never be too much light shed on the subject, because no one should ever feel like they must suffer in silence.
Urge Those in Need to Seek Help
If you or anyone you know is suffering from mental illness, or thinks they might have a mental health issue, don’t wait. Seek help sooner rather than later. Like that small fire that’s easier to put out while it’s small, it’s better to begin working on these issues before they become extreme cases. We all deserve to live a life free from mental illness, and to never feel shame about seeking aid when we need it.