Mental Health Awareness Month
The month of May is Mental Health Awareness Month and this year NAMI’s You are Not Alone campaign is about featuring lived experiences of people, being a source of inspiration and breaking the stigma through education.
We want to honor the national movement and join in to help share ways that you can spread awareness around mental health.
Here are 5 ways that you can help break the stigma around mental health and join on the movement.
1. Break the Stigma, Share the Statistics.
Numbers do not lie, and they shine a light that we all need to see. Here are some statistics by a report conducted by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health)
- Mental Illness: 47.6 Million adults in the United States face the reality of managing a mental illness every day.
- Serious Mental Illness: 1 in 25 adults in the United States experiences a serious mental illness each year.
- Mental Health Condition: 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience a mental health condition each year.
- Youth Mental Health: 1 in 6 youth aged 6-18 experience a mental health condition
- Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24.
Share this blog post or download these graphics to post on your social media profiles. Help break the stigma and raise awareness.
2. Talk to the Youth and Young Adults in Your Life.
With these numbers it is not a surprise that the national suicide rate has increased over the years with youth and young adults. As a result, it is becoming more common for them to “silence” what they are going through, and they need to know that they are not alone and that there is help, hope and support. Therefore, it’s important that we talk to the children, youth and young adults in our lives. In addition, encourage them that it is okay to ask for help. We are here for you if you would like to schedule a therapy session with one of our therapists who focuses on working with youth and young adults.
3. Connect with Others.
There are many ways to connect with others when it comes to your general well-being and mental health. Here are a few ways:
- Through this You Are Not Alone campaign, several stories have been published. You can read them here.
- Reach out to a friend or a loved one and talk about what is going on for you.
- Join support groups for young adults
- Talk to a licensed therapist or counselor. Our client care team would be happy to talk to you about what’s going on and help you find the therapist best for you.
4. Share Your Story.
Sharing your story is healing for you and the person reading your story and connects with it and reaches out for help. Sharing your story helps break the stigma.
5. Talk to A Therapist.
If you or a loved one is dealing with a mental illness then it is important to talk to a licensed therapist. You don’t have to face this alone, we are here for you and have a team of therapists and a client care team who will connect you with a therapist that best fits your needs. We have our bridging the gap program that is affordable therapy for those who have lost their insurance, are uninsured or on Medicaid. Also, we also have a team of nurse practitioners if you want to talk to someone about medication support. We’re here to help.
Our Contributor
Mandy Paysse
Mandy is a creative and multi-passionate marketer. She is responsible for supporting, developing and executing strategic marketing campaigns. She works on all marketing pieces for the company from the life of the website, email marketing, social media and outreach to support brand awareness around all things Elliott Counseling Group offers.
We’re better together. #Breakthestigma
We offer medication management, therapy, and counseling services in Champaign, Urbana, and Mattoon. There are no long wait lists and we are accepting new clients. We would love to see if we fit your needs well. Contact our client care team to get started.