May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Since 1949, Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in May. During this month, media, local events and other public education outreach efforts will spread the word.
Mental Health America, the national office, is actively involved with Mental Health Awareness Month with the ongoing focus this year being "Before Stage 4". We did introduce this issue in December's monthly newsletter.
As a community we have become aware that with cancer, heart disease, or diabetes, we aren't willing to wait years to seek treatment. We've become familiar with a variety of prevention messages and campaigns such as not smoking, getting regular checkups, watching your diet and exercising. We want to prevent those diseases and we respond to the first symptoms like a persistent cough, high blood pressure, or high blood sugar. We don't wait.
The Before Stage 4 campaign challenges us, as a community, to do the same for individuals who are dealing with potentially serious mental illness. We're asked to know about the risk factors and symptoms in order to catch them early. Symptoms might be such things as loss of sleep, feeling tired for no reason, feeling low, feeling anxious, or hearing voices. We need to not brush these symptoms aside. We must address these symptoms early, identify the underlying disease, and plan an appropriate course of action on a path towards overall health. Mental health conditions should be addressed long before they reach the most critical points in the disease process-Before Stage 4.
Mental Health America has several online screening tools
here. These are an anonymous, free and private way to learn about your own mental health and see if you are showing warning signs of a mental illness. This only takes a few minutes. When you are finished you will be given information about the next steps you should take based on the results. A screening is not a diagnosis, but it can be a helpful tool for starting a conversation with your doctor or a loved one about your mental health.
Remember, mental illness is common and treatable. There is a wide variety of treatment options for mental illnesses ranging from talk therapy to medication to peer support, and it may take some time for a person to find the right treatment or combination of treatments that work best for them.
It's up to all of us to know the signs and take action so that mental illnesses can be caught early and treated. We know that intervening effectively during early stages of mental illness can save lives and change the trajectories of people living with mental illnesses. Be aware of your mental health and get screened #B4Stage4 today!
