October 7th-13th, 2012 is National Mental Health Awareness Week. Each year during this week, mental health organizations, caregivers, consumers, and families across the United States work together to promote awareness and understanding of mental illness, to reduce stigma, and to share ideas about how communities can best respond to mental illness.
Believe it or not, one in five people in our community struggles with mental illness, and far too many do not seek the treatment they need to recover. Oftentimes this is due to a lack of resources in the community, or it is a result of the stigma commonly associated with serious mental illnesses such as Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or depression. This week we encourage you to learn more about mental illness, how to recognize it, and to find out how you can take action in your community to promote awareness and reduce stigma.
Below are some links that we think you will find helpful in educating yourself about mental illness:
National Day without Stigma | Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
National Day without Stigma is sponsored by Active Minds, a national organization working to utilize the student voice to change the conversation about mental health on college campuses. The objective of National Day without Stigma is to eliminate the shame and discrimination surrounding mental health disorders by creating communities of understanding and support. Learn more here.
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) | Resources for Mental Health Awareness Week
This website provides background on the history of National Mental Health Awareness Week and includes resources that you can use to educate yourself, your community, or more specifically your faith community about mental illness. Learn more here.
If you know someone who’s depressed…| From HealthyPlace: America’s Mental Health Channel (Acknowledgement to NAMI)
This brief article offers advice on how to respond to someone in your life who you suspect is suffering from depression. Read it online here.
Opinion: Mental Illness Awareness Week provides learning opportunity | Guest column by Sally T. Osmer for NJ.com | Monday, October 8th, 2012
This op/ed piece describes how one community is promoting awareness of mental illness and what steps it is taking to respond. Read the full article here.
Mental Health First Aid Colorado | Be a First Responder for your Community’s Mental Health
Mental Health First Aid Colorado is a statewide, public education program committed to empowering individuals to identify, understand and respond to those in mental health and substance abuse crises. Learn more here, including how to register for a course.