It's Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

I could easily go on about how we should be aware of mental health for all of the months.. Instead, I want to offer some suggestions on how you can be more aware / understanding of mental health conditions.

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Stigmas, stigmas, stigmas. Enough with the stigmas, please. What good is it to ignorantly generalize mental health? Identifying conditions and disorders by their stigma is inconsiderate and stops people from reaching out for help. Be more AWARE of the different types of mental health conditions. There are so many types and subtypes and mixes... it really all depends on the individual. Just because someone doesn't fit the stereotype of the condition, doesn't mean he/she doesn't have it. Disorders manifest themselves in a plethora of ways. Do yourself (and everyone else) a favor by becoming more educated (sorry/not sorry to be harsh).

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One thing that really irritates me is how quickly people are to judge others without knowing the full extent of a situation. Every single person in this world struggles with something. You struggle with something. Just. Be. Nice. There are usually deeper/more complex reasons as to why people act a certain way. The least we can do is recognize this fact... OR better yet, get to know the person before making any assumptions about his/her character. People with mental health conditions just want to feel understood.

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It's important that the whole mental health awareness thing also be preached to those with mental health conditions. Becoming self-aware of your mental health is a big step in bettering yourself. Acknowledging your condition or disorder puts you on the right track to recovery. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Easier said than done, I know (like really I know. It took me until my sophomore year of college to seek help), but asking for help doesn't make you any less of a person. People want to help you. People want to see you doing well. Going to therapy was one of the best decisions of my life. When I have a problem with my car, I take it to the mechanic. When I catch a cold, I go to the doctor. When my tooth aches, I go to the dentist. When my brain is overworked from OCD and anxiety, I go to my therapist or psychiatrist.

The point is... we seek professional help for everything but mental health. Maybe it's because of the stigma, maybe it's because of the embarrassment, maybe it's because of the inaccessibility, or maybe it's because of the denial... whatever the reason may be, try and see past it. All we can really do is try. And if trying means seeing a therapist, then please do. I want you to feel better. I want you to feel happy. I want you to be okay. I want you to stay. I want to help.

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I want to end the post by saying this:

Having a mental health condition doesn't mean you're crazy. It doesn't mean you're a bad person. It doesn't make you less deserving of happiness. All it means is that your brain works a little differently than others. And that's okay. Different isn't wrong.

And as always, have a wonderful night.