Takeaways at the End of Mental Health Awareness Month

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to an end let’s talk about some ways you can keep the momentum and help break the mental health stigma.

Be the friend who listens.

You would be surprised just how many people will automatically act as a critic instead of listening and truly supporting a friend experiencing a mental health problem. It may not be intentional but sometimes it takes practice to really understand that person’s perspective, it’s not always easy.

Educate yourself and others.

Allowing yourself to learn from others and taking it upon yourself to educate yourself whenever you come across something or someone that you don’t fully understand in regard to mental health can equip you to handle challenges in the future. Sharing your experiences and knowledge with others also pays it forward and further breaks down the mental health stigma.

Show compassion for all mental health illnesses.

How an individual with mental illness presents can be incredibly different from one person to the next. The presentation can span from someone who is successful and appears to have everything together or a homeless man on the street. No one “deserves” mental illness.

Empower yourself, and ignore the feelings of shame.

Taking care of your own mental health is super important! Be a walking testimonial! Remember you are not alone and keeping your voice heard inspires others to do the same.

If you would like to address your own mental health reach out to one of our amazing counselors, we’d love to help!