Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? Mental health is a key player in overall health, and can impact how we handle stress and influence the healthy (or unhealthy) choices we make every day. The field of medicine is critical to ensure wellness; it's also our responsibility as individuals to prioritize our mental health. Even daily stressors can hinder our physical health.
Every year, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) leads the Mental Health Awareness Month campaign, which aims to increase public understanding of mental health and reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness. Through this campaign, #morethanenough, NAMI encourages individuals to share their stories, raise awareness in their communities, and advocate for better access to mental health resources and services.
Anxiety, depression, or trauma can greatly affect one’s ability to live a productive life. Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate and inform the public about the importance of mental health and the impact of mental illness on individuals, families, and society as a whole. As the country is facing a shortage of practicing psychiatrists, sharing our knowledge, and supporting those we love has become a topic that is needed, but not often addressed.
Remember that it's okay not to be okay, and it's okay to ask for help. You deserve to receive the support and care you need to prioritize your mental health and well-being Don’t forget: you are #morethanenough.
Mental Health Support:
Mental Health resources at Himmelfarb:
- Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders : DSM-5.
- PsychiatryOnline
- Psychiatric mental health nursing: an interpersonal approach
- Refugee Mental Health
- Textbook of community psychiatry : American Association for Community Psychiatry
