May 2024 is Mental Health Awareness Month
Show your support for the mental health community this month
For many of us, mental illness is a fact of our daily lives. Since there is no cure for mental illness, we have to develop coping skills, go to therapy, take medications, and constantly seek out support from friends, family, coworkers and the community.
During this month, each of us who has a mental health condition can share our stories to raise awareness about mental health issues by putting a face to them. We can also share statistics, facts and information about mental health. When we do this, we help to start a conversation about mental health.
By talking about mental health, we can help to reduce the stigma and shame that many individuals feel when seeking out assistance for mental health. We can let people know that they aren’t alone, that they have our support in the daily, silent battles that they face.
Today on the blog, I share some quick facts about mental health, along with shareable graphics that you can use on Social Media when talking about mental health. The more information that each of us knows about mental health, the more informed we can be as we enter debates on public forums.
Here in the United States, 1 in 5 people suffers from a mental illness. With 20% of our population effected by mental health issues, this makes education, awareness and advocacy key in alleviating the suffering of many people.
If you have mental health issues yourself, finding therapy is key in recovery. Don’t be afraid to seek out help. It doesn’t make you weak, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed of doing so. Hiding a mental health condition only leads to worse outcomes in the long term, though it can help you find acceptance for being ‘normal’ in the short term.
You can only pretend to be fine for so long before the mask starts to crack, and people around you realize that you are hurting inside. The more honest you can be about your mental health, the sooner you will be able to get help!
Why I Can't Hide my Trauma Anymore - And You Shouldn't Either
Hiding your problems in silence isn’t helping you to heal. In order to find a solution to the things that are going wrong in your life, first you have to admit to yourself that something is badly wrong. Don’t blame yourself. Many people struggle. It doesn’t mean you are a failure or a bad person.
When you react to traumatic circumstances, it causes changes in your brain. This means, you are doing the best you can with things that have happened to you. We all have a tendency to reacting by going into fight or flight mode when we are triggered. It’s the biology of the brain, not a personal failing!
According to Alex G Shearer Health,
Being stuck in fight-or-flight simply means that your nervous system (which consists of your brain, spinal cord, and nerves) feels generally unsafe, and therefore, sends your body into a state of high alert. This can happen when you A) feel high levels of stress in your environment, or B) when something happened in your past that actually hurt or threatened you, and the memory of it still lives rent-free in your subconscious.
When you go to therapy to work through your trauma, you are less likely to be triggered by day to day situations, however it can still happen. This is because of the evolutionary response of the brain, the amount of chronic stress you are dealing with, and what has happened to you in the past. It isn’t a personal moral failing to have a panic attack or go into fight or flight. You don’t need to hide out of shame.
As we help to raise awareness about mental health throughout the month of May, we help to create safe spaces for dialogue. This can lead to a sense of community, a knowledge that we are not alone, and be a first step to healing for anyone who feels alone and struggling with mental health.
Let me know what questions you have in the comments, and what subjects you would like me to cover throughout the month of May!
Be well, my lovelies!
Nicole Dake