There is stigma against mental health. If it gets brought up people tend to be embarrassed by it. But we need to understand that mental health is a crucial part to our overall well being.

Awareness eliminates stigma for people.

Stigma is often attached to something that people are afraid of or feel ashamed of.  Stigma affects the person dealing with the mental illness and its support group. The stigma for mental health can worsen conditions and reduce the likelihood of getting treatmeant. 

For example, people living with mental health disorders often feel nervous about telling others of their illness. This can then lead to seclusion and more often than not delay seeking treatment due to fear. Fear of being discriminated and seen as less. It can lead to people with mental illness feel ashamed of their own condition. This results in people not being treated as they should. We constantly live in a world where perception matters. So for a person who has a mental health illness it’s scary to talk about it because people might see them as a lesser person.

So by bringing awareness and breaking the stigma, it allows people to get educated on the subject and ultimately help the individual who is suffering. It clarifies the misconception people have on mental health and allows people with the mental illness to be treated with dignity and respect.

There are many ways to reduce the stigma for mental health. For example, being compassionate to the person with the mental health illness, talking about mental health in the media, normalizing mental health treatments and educating yourself and others. 

Awareness can help you be an ally.

Being an ally means being someone who understands the situation and is committed to fight the prejudice. Once you understand the situation, you can ask the individual who is struggling with a mental health problem what you can do personally to help them. Some ways to be supportive is to listen, act, get educated and validate. 

Remember to listen to them with empathy and acknowledge they are not defined by their mental illness. When being an ally you have to be mindful of your words not just around people who have a mental illness but also to the public. 

Awareness can help you recognize someone who is struggling with a mental health disorder. 

You can’t always just look at someone and know what they are going through. Mental health illness is not something you can see. If you fall down and get a bruise you can physically see it , but it’s different when it comes to mental health. 

You can be young and still have a mental illness.

You can be beautiful and still have a mental illness.

You can be strong and still have a mental illness. 

You can have a lot of money and  still have a mental illness. 

While each illness has its symptoms, being aware that anyone is prone to having mental health problems is a step in the right direction.

We have to understand that we can’t recognize something we don’t know. We first have to acknolege mental health exists and by having awareness it can help you understand the symptoms. 

Some symptoms involve excessive fear or worries. Constantly feeling sad or down, having extreme mood changes , changes in eating habits , avoiding social interactions and many other symtomps. 

Awareness helps people with mental illness understand that they are not alone.

Social support can help an individual understand that they are not alone. By bringing awareness and sharing personal anecdotes from the past, people who have mental health illness can feel seen. 

Understanding the importance of mental health is not only beneficial for the person dealing with the illness but also for the rest of society. Awareness in all aspects of our lives allows for a better personal growth journey.