Educating & Advocating Mental Health
Promoting The Importance Of Taking Care Of Our Mental Health Donate HereApply For free therapy (Coming December)Crushing The Mental Health Stigma
The mental health stigma often comes from fear and the lack of understanding. Unfortunately, the stigma can also lead to discrimination. Discrimination may be direct, such as someone making negative remarks about your mental health complications or your treatment. Discrimination can also be subtle and unintentional such as someone avoiding you. Harmful effects of stigma include:
- Lower Self-Esteem
- Bullying, physical violence or harassment
- Lack of understanding by family, friends, co-workers or others.
- Reluctance to seek help or treatment.
- The belief that you’ll never succeed at certain challenges or that you can’t improve your situation.
Without mental health advocacy, we would likely still be talking about mental health conditions in whispers or not even at all. Speaking up is a vital part of changing perceptions around mental health while also increasing access to treatment and services.
What We Can Do To Help Break The Stigma
Talk openly about mental health, such as sharing on social media.
Educate yourself and others – respond to misperceptions or negative comments by sharing facts and experiences.
Be honest about treatment – normalize mental health treatment, just like other health care treatment.
Show compassion for those with mental illness.
The Importance Of Taking Care Of Our Mental Health
Mental health correlates with everything we think, say and do, and is a topic that is often overlooked. Some factors that can negatively impact mental health stability are:
- Long term/severe stress
- Past trauma
- Discrimination
- Breakup/divorce
- Discrimination
- Dysfunctional family life
- Unemployment
- Lonliness
Sustaining our mental health is critical for our emotions, thoughts and behaviors. Focusing on mental health has many positive benefits which include improving our relationships and increasing our self-esteem. Some of the physical health problems are directly related to our mental health such as heart disease. Other benefits of taking care of our mental health include:
- Staying motivated, healthy and physically active
- Reducing anxiety
- Creating an enhanced sense of inner peace
- Thinking more clearly/making better decisions
How To Boost Your Mental Health
Creating Social Connections
Humans are social creatures with emotional needs for relationships and positive connections to others.
Healthy Diet
An unhealthy diet can take a toll on your brain and mood, disrupt your sleep, sap your energy, and weaken your immune system.
Having A Meaning And Purpose
You may think of it as a way to feel needed, feel good about yourself, a purpose that drives you on, or simply a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Managing Your Stress
While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you brings things back into balance.