Mental health awareness is a critical aspect of public health that aims to increase understanding, knowledge, and acceptance of mental health issues. It involves promoting positive mental health, reducing stigma surrounding mental illnesses, and encouraging individuals to seek help when needed. It is my goal to offer help through my experiences in hope of reaching those who are in need. Here are key aspects of mental health awareness:
- Understanding Mental Health:
- Awareness campaigns focus on educating the public about various mental health conditions, their symptoms, and the impact they can have on individuals’ lives.
- Reducing Stigma:
- Stigma and discrimination often prevent individuals from seeking help. Mental health awareness efforts aim to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions, fostering a more supportive and inclusive environment. It can be difficult and scary to admit to yourself that something is wrong. It can be even more difficult to share with someone else that you have something wrong inside of you. Mental illness manifests itself in many ways, but it is different than a physical illness such as cancer where you can see its outward effects.
- Promoting Well-Being:
- Mental health awareness extends beyond mental illnesses to include promoting overall well-being. This can involve encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, stress management, and self-care practices. Exercise and eating healthy is crucial in treatment of mental illness. See the “physical” tab for more information.
- Access to Resources:
- Increasing awareness about available mental health resources, such as helplines, counseling services, and community support groups, is crucial for individuals to access the help they need. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 800-273-8255. Or simply dial 988. The crisis text line is 741741 and they are all available 24/7.
- Advocacy and Policy:
- Mental health awareness campaigns often involve advocating for policy changes and increased funding for mental health services. This helps create a more comprehensive and accessible mental health care system.
- Education in Schools and Workplaces:
- Integrating mental health education into school curricula and workplace training programs helps build a culture of understanding and support from an early age. Mental illness is prevalent in our youth today as well. It is important to act on any indication that your child may be suffering from a mental illness. Early detection can save a lifetime of suffering.
- Media Influence:
- Media plays a significant role in shaping public perceptions. Mental health awareness efforts aim to promote accurate and compassionate portrayals of mental health issues in the media. I hope that through this blog the reader can learn more about diagnosis, treatments, and resources available to them.
- Community Engagement:
- Local communities are vital in supporting individuals with mental health challenges. Awareness campaigns may involve community events, workshops, and forums to facilitate open conversations about mental health.
- Global Initiatives:
- Mental health is a global concern, and international organizations work towards promoting mental health awareness on a global scale. Initiatives like World Mental Health Day contribute to raising awareness worldwide. As well as Mental Health Awareness month in May. The color is green!
- Self-Care and Support:
- Encouraging individuals to prioritize their mental health through self-care practices and fostering a culture of support among friends and family is essential.
- Clinical Assessment:
- Professionals conduct a thorough clinical assessment, which may include interviews, questionnaires, and observations. They gather information about symptoms, personal history, family history, and daily functioning. Family history is vital because mental illness can “run in the family”. I have several members of my family that suffer from mental illnesses ranging from depression to bipolar disorder.
- Diagnostic Criteria:
- Mental health professionals refer to standardized diagnostic criteria such as the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) or the ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition) to determine if symptoms align with a specific mental health disorder.
- Medical Evaluation:
- A medical evaluation may be conducted to rule out any underlying physical conditions that could contribute to or mimic mental health symptoms. Some medical conditions can affect mental health, so it’s important to consider both aspects. For example ADD can cause memory issues as well as brain-fog. This would be helpful to determine in a medical evaluation.
- Collateral Information:
- Information from family members, friends, or other sources may be considered to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the individual’s situation. Good positive support from family and friends is essential in helping the individual both come to terms with the diagnosis as well as seeking further help. For the support team- it can be difficult often times to deal with someone with a mental illness because they may be experiencing a psychotic episode or dealing with an irrational thought process. Patience and understanding, and communication is key.
- Ongoing Assessment:
- Diagnosing mental illness is an ongoing process. The professional may monitor symptoms over time to ensure an accurate diagnosis and make adjustments to the treatment plan as needed. Symptoms are sometimes mistaken for other things. For example, there is a difference between a panic attack and an episode where you are in crisis and have no control. More about that later.