Raising Mental Health Awareness
According to the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) about one in five adults overall will experience mental illness each year. Because of mental health issues, people often suffer in silence and fail to seek treatment for their conditions.
What is awareness of mental health? Mental health awareness is the continuing effort to reduce the stigma around mental illness and mental health conditions. Mental health awareness is important because it improves the understanding of mental health conditions. Raising awareness is powerful tool, because it educates people about topics surrounding mental illness and encourages individuals to participate in bringing change.
Tips to increase mental health awareness
Seeking feedback can be a good first step however, you must be willing to listen to it. Ask those around you for opinions on your traits and seek to correct your limitations.
Life can bring about many demands on your time and energy, so finding time for you can seem hopeless. However, to be the best version of yourself, you have to take time to know yourself. Since people change over time, we may not be the same person we were ten years ago. Knowing who you are, can help your positive effects spill over into other areas of your life.
According to NAMI, some of the common signs to watch for in adults are trouble with coping with everyday stress, or changes in emotions such as strong feelings of worry, fear, sadness, or anger, mood swings or loss of interest. Also, changes in thinking such as showing signs of confusion, having trouble concentrating or remembering, or having hallucinations or paranoid thoughts.
The Golden Rule states that we should treat others as we want to be treated. Therefore, we should model the behavior we expect to see in others. For example, take time to listen, increase your mindfulness of others, and pay attention to what is going on around you.
It’s important to observe people’s reactions when you communicate with them since a significant percentage of communication is actually body language. For example, pay attention to people’s eye contact, their posture and facial expressions. If they hold your gaze, turn towards you or even mirror your actions, that’s a good sign. However, looking away, or a closed stance may indicate something is wrong.
If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of mental health. Don’t wait to seek help. We can help, contact us today at www.mirrorimagestexas.net.