sOLUTIONS Through Discussions: Protecting your mental health recap!
Happy Mental Health Awareness Month!
I am so happy to see the overabundance of events and conversations that are taking place to bring awareness to the topic of mental health. These spaces are so necessary, especially, as we continue to see the rise in people experiencing mental illness and individuals dying by suicide.
This month Well Together hosted a 3-week Mental Health Series titled, “Solutions Through Discussions: Protecting Your Mental Health,” which highlighted and welcomed discussion around three different topics (mentioned below) related to Mental Health. Just in case you missed it we want to fill you in!
Before we dive in, I believe it’s important to distinguish the difference between “mental health” and “mental illness.” Mental Health refers to anyone's state of mental, and emotional well-being, whereas, mental illness refers to diagnoses’ that affect thoughts and behaviors. Recently, I came across a post that illustrated, “ 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, however, 5 in 5 people have mental health.” This illustrates that everyone might not experience mental illness, however, we all have a duty to take care of our mental health.
Weekly Recap
Language Matters
“There is hope, even when your brain tells you there isn’t.”
— John Green
Our words are powerful, therefore, we have to be very mindful about how we talk to ourselves and others, especially, when discussing mental health. Unfortunately, when people lack mental health literacy then people may utilize stigmatizing language which can be hurtful and offensive to someone who is experiencing a mental illness, or even to someone who is struggling with their mental health. Some people may think so people are being sensitive, however, no one deserves to feel less than or feel as if their experience isn’t valid.
So how do we approach this? We first be by taking some time to educate ourselves about mental health and mental illness whether it be through online research or speaking with someone who works in the field. Additionally, we should also practice using person-centered language, which refers to language that puts people first, by emphasizing the person rather than the illness. By utilizing person-centered language this also communicates that the diagnosis is not the person’s identity. Here are some examples:
Instead of “Mentally-ill” say “A person experiencing mental health challenges/a mental illness”
Instead of “He is schizophrenic” say “John is a person with schizophrenia”
Instead of “The man committed suicide” say “The man died by suicide”
As I mentioned above, it takes practice! Therefore, if you mistakenly offend someone, apologize and correct yourself! It’s easy as that! Ultimately, you never know what someone is experiencing, so let’s speak words of hope, instead of words that hurt!
Seeking Support
“Having a need and needing help is not a sign that you’re weak, it's a sign that you’re human.”
-Kate Northrup
For many people asking for help can be difficult for many reasons, including, stigma, fear of judgement, negative past experiences with asking for help, concerns about confidentiality, viewing support through the lens of someone else’s, and fear of being perceived as weak. However, I want to let you know that asking for/seeking support is a sign of strength. I stay that because I personally I initially held a lot of resistance when first considering seeing a therapist based on growing up in a single parent household, in which I always saw my mom do everything, therefore, I believed I can do everything on my own too. However, I got to a point when I felt like I could barely keep my head above water and I definitely needed to support!
Given my experience, I don’t want this to happen to you and even you are there now, I want to let you know that your feelings of resistance are valid and at the same time there are plenty of resources and trained professionals that are ready to support you. Additionally, other resources that can help you navigate the process include local community organizations, online mental health directories, hotlines (immediate crisis) and warm-lines (early intervention), employer offered mental health resources (employee assistance programs), and more.
Daily Strategies to Protect Your Mental Health
“Your mental health is a priority. Your happiness is essential. Your self-care is a necessity”
-Unknown
Take care of one’s mental health looks different from personal to person given our different life experiences, our varies needs based on one’s current circumstances, and many additional factors. Also, in my opinion, there is no one size fits all method to caring for your mental health, but it becomes important for us to proactively take steps each day, rather than waiting until one is experiencing challenges. Here are a few strategies that we can implement daily:
Start Your Day on a positive note (gratitude, uplifting music, prayer, podcast, favorite activity)
Social Connection
Physical Activity
Practice Mindfulness
Eat a brain-healthy diet
Make leisure a priority
Take sleep seriously
Find purpose and meaning
Seek support if you need it
To end, Mental Health is health and it’s important that we treat it and prioritize it as so! Additionally, as we continue bring more awareness to the topic of mental health it is critical that we take time to educate ourselves to care for our own mental health, but also to support others.
Did any of the topics resonate with you? Do you have any mental health tips that you’d like to share with others? If so, feel free to share in the comments!
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