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 well-being.
HOW TO OBSERVE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Take care of yourself: Life has numerous ups and downs. Some are solvable but others not so much. When your mental health may have you feeling unwell, seek the right treatment and find your path to wellness because, after all, life has much more to offer than just pain and suffering.
Take care of your loved ones: Check up on your friends and family. Many times, all people need is a shoulder to cry on and/or an ear to listen. Support and encourage them if they are being treated for any mental health concerns.
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. This is one of the aims of the month as the stigma attached to mental health has led to countless delays in people seeking treatment, loss of relationships with self and others, loss of lives, increased substance use, and many many more factors that affect people everyday.
5 FACTS ABOUT ANXIETY DISORDER
Anxiety most common: In the U.S., anxiety disorder is the most common form of mental illness.
Very few people seek treatment: Anxiety disorder is treatable in many cases but only about 36% of people opt to get help.
Multiple factors cause anxiety: From brain activities to genetics to life events, a host of factors can lead to a person developing an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety from a young age: The National Institute of Mental Health states that 8% of American teenagers already have an anxiety disorder.
Exercise to fight anxiety: Many studies have proven that a little boost of energy from exercise can help lessen the effects of anxiety disorder.
WHY WE SHOULD CELEBRATE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
It’s a celebration of mental health: The only way to enjoy life to the fullest and experience all its wonders is if we take care of ourselves, mentally and physically. Don’t shy away from talking about things that are distressing you because it might not be your fault, no matter how much society tells you otherwise.
It’s a celebration of changing attitudes: We have come a long way from the times when people who were inpatient at mental health hospitals were treated as outcasts, not only by their loved ones but also by medical professionals. Times have started changing and more and more people are changing their outlook on mental health. However, we still have a long way to go.
It’s a celebration of humans: We humans are a set of meticulously-put-together details. Our minds (and bodies) work in harmony to bring us amazing feats in technology, science, humanities, literature, etc. Our mental power, therefore, needs to be taken care of for today, for a better tomorrow, and for the coming generations.
