Mental illness is more . common than ever before because now we understand what to look for. Did you know that according to the National Alliance on Mental Health, an estimated 43.8 million adults in the United States experience some type of mental illness in a given year? In celebration of World Mental Health Day, we here at DASHA® would love to talk about three ways you can break the stigma around mental health and apply positive mental health to your daily life.
- Connect with others and talk about it. One of the best ways to break the stigma on mental health issues are to get it out in the open and talk about how you are feeling. Yes, at times it can be hard to talk about it, but the more we connect on these issues, the better it will be for all parties involved. Whether you reach out to family, a friend, find an organization/group, or talk to a therapist, you need to tell someone how you’re feeling and that it’s okay to talk about mental illness.
- Recognize where you are at emotionally. It’s important for you to know how you’re feeling and to recognize it. Letting yourself experience your emotions could be the best thing for you. So if you’re feeling sad or anxious, just allow yourself to go through the emotions and feel it in the present moment.
- Take a deep breath. Sometimes at your job or with family and friends you can feel a little rushed into doing things and it creates a feeling of not being good enough or just outright anxious. This would be the perfect time to just slow down and breathe. By focusing on your breathing, it can help alleviate some of that anxiety.
By applying these methods, you can become more aware of yours as well as others mental health and most likely will help in trying to break the stigma around it.
It’s important to note that if you are suffering from a mental illness, you need to reach out to get help. If you or someone you know is experiencing depression and need help, please contact the crisis 24/7 hotline at: 1-800-273-8255.
