May is known as Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. Mental Health America began the tradition back in 1949 to encourage everyone to learn more about mental health — for themselves and others.
Understanding mental health can help everyone live a happier, well-rounded life. 7 Summit Pathways recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month, and we can help you learn more about mental health resources and spread awareness.
What Is Mental Health Awareness?
Mental health awareness is the recognition that our psychological well-being is crucial to our lives. Recognizing mental health matters means acknowledging its effect on our overall health, productivity and happiness. It’s important to consider your personal mental health and to be aware of how it impacts our society as a whole. People of all ages can experience mental health issues, children included.
Importance of Mental Health Awareness
Many people ignore mental health concerns, feeling other priorities are more important. Others don’t realize how common mental health problems are — one in five people will experience a mental health episode in a given year.
Mental health can impact us in the following areas:
- Overall health: People with depression have a 40% higher chance of developing cardiovascular or metabolic disease. Mental health diseases are just as important as physical ones, and they can affect you physically without treatment.
- Employment: Mental health issues can make it hard to complete your best work or even hold a job. Understanding mental health in the workplace can help productivity, work quality and workplace culture.
- Childhood: One in six U.S. children aged 2-8 have received a mental, behavioral or developmental diagnosis. Understanding children’s issues and knowing what to look for can help them monitor their mental health earlier.
- Co-occurring disorders: Over one in four adults with a mental health condition also has an addiction. Some people may use substances to cope with their mental health or experience mental health issues after they start using.
How to Get Involved
Mental health awareness is a year-round issue, but taking action in May can be a great first step. You can take part in Mental Health Awareness Month in the following ways:
- Share your mental health experience online or with others.
- Take a free mental health test and see how you are doing.
- Talk to others about their mental health experiences and check in on your loved ones.
- Find and share resources about mental health in your community.
- Learn about different mental disorders and how they impact individuals.
Where to Find Mental Health Resources
Look to health care professionals for infographics, social media posts, research and blogs about mental health. The National Alliance on Mental illness (NAMI) advocates for mental health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has resources and statistics.
You can also turn to 7 Summit Pathways for more information about mental health and addiction treatment.
7 Summit Pathways for Dual Diagnosis Treatment
During Mental Health Awareness Month, remember that getting help is the first step in recovering. Our dual-diagnosis treatment program can help with mental and addiction issues. We offer holistic, psychological, medical and therapeutic treatments to help with mental health and co-occurring disorders.
Start your path to Recovery with 7 Summit Pathways. Contact us online or make an appointment to learn more!