Living with mental illness can be hard enough, but having to hide it out of fear and shame can make life that much more difficult. Shedding light on mental health awareness and ending stigma is a mission of IndiHeartandMind. In order to do that, we must educate our community on the components of mental health and the attitudes commonly thought about them.
Mental health IS something that everyone has just like physical health. It is important and is worth putting an investment in when you feel like there are areas that need help. It makes us human and although mental health can be complex, it is real!
Mental health IS NOT something to be ashamed of and should not be viewed as a weakness. It is not always negative and is not only in your mind. It is not something that you can decide you have or not. It is not something you can just “snap out of.”
Many times, people think that just because you can’t see mental health that it is not there. This attitude towards individuals experiencing real symptoms perpetuates stigma.
How do we end stigma?
Firstly, it is important to talk about mental health and bring this topic out into the open.
Educating others about mental health is vital to bringing awareness to what it means not only for the individuals experiencing it but for the community as a whole.
When the community is more aware of mental health and how it can affect others, that impacts the way they approach people and the language they use becomes more sensitive.
Understanding the equality between physical health and mental health is paramount. Physical wounds are visible, mental ones are not- this does not mean that the pain the individual is experiencing is any less but treating people as though it does only adds to the pain and shame.
Instead, showing compassion and empathy provides an opportunity for people to feel that they can get the help they need without feeling ashamed to do so.
At IndiHeartandMind we embrace the mental health struggles of the individuals we treat and provide a compassionate space for healing to occur.
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties with their mental health talk to them about getting help and help end the stigma today!
Click here for more information about how to get help.
