mental illness

Helpful Resources During Suicide Prevention Month 2022

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CW: This post discusses suicide and suicide awareness.

Last week was the beginning of Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. This month is extremely important because it’s a chance to have honest, open discussions about suicide and suicide prevention. More so, it’s a good time to share resources for those who may need them, as well as people who are looking for information to distribute this month. These are resources that I’ve found in recent years, and I’m re-upping them to give people as many resources as possible.

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Metaphors for Mental Health: Lifting Weights

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A couple of weeks ago, I started doing some weight training exercises for the first time in at least a few years. Lifting weights is something I’ve done on and off for years, but I’d fallen away from it for some time. But one day, kind of randomly, I went into the gym and headed for the weights. After the first session, my body was sore in places I’d forgotten I could be sore in, and these new exercises taught me a valuable lesson in how we can help ourselves adjust to things, not only physically, but mentally as well.

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Are We Really Talking About Mental Health?

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I am tired. Tired of a lot of things, but today I’m sharing one specific reason I’m tired. I’m tired of seeing mental illness get weaponized. Tired of seeing mental health being brought up in bad faith, in harmful, disingenuous and shameful ways that undo the work people have put in for decades to shrink the stigma surrounding mental health. And because I’m bouncing back between rage and sadness (which is just what it is right now) over this and have been for sometime, I just want to express those feelings today, because they need to get out.

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Five Things I Do When I’m Not Feeling Like Myself

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Earlier this week, I wrote about what I do when I’m feeling restless or “off.” I think this self-awareness is important for everyone who is trying to understand themselves in a better way. Getting to know yourself is a lifelong journey, and there are many chances to get to know ourselves in a better way, almost daily. I mentioned that there are some things I try to do when I’m not quite feeling like myself, so I wanted to share them today as a chance for reflection, and hopefully some inspiration to anyone aspiring to do the same!

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If We Know There’s a Stigma, Why Is It Still Here?

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When it comes to mental health, one of the things that is discussed a lot is stigma. The stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness comes up a lot in this space, and it’s something that can become impossible to ignore. But as much as people bring it up when we talk about mental health, the stigma continues to exist and cause harm to people who experience mental illness or other mental health challenges. So today I want to answer the question: if we know a stigma exists, why is it still here?

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Closing Out Mental Health Awareness Month 2022

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Every year when I reach the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, I try to reflect. I reflect on mental health in the state of my community, my city and my country, and I wonder if anything has happened this month that could lead to substantial change. This year, I have to say I’m a little discouraged. I know I’m usually a little more positive about mental health awareness, but after this month it seems like we have so much of it backwards. That’s why, to close out this month, I want to share why talking about mental health – the right way – is more important now than ever.

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Learning How To Take Time

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I’ll be honest, friends: I’m tired. Physically, mentally, emotionally, I am exhausted. And I know I’ve said it before on this blog (and I’m sure I’ll say it again), but the world can really wear me down. It seems like every single week, something happens in the world that makes me sad, angry, upset or hopeless. And that’s without introducing anything from own life into the mix! While I haven’t really figured out how to handle these new challenges, I know what it starts with: taking time for what I need.

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Why It Needs To Be Okay Not To Be Okay

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It today’s digital world, lots of thoughts and feelings can be boiled down to a slogan or a hashtag, something that will grab a person and make them want to learn more or take action. When it comes to mental health there are a lot different ideas and slogans, but one of the most popular is the phrase it’s okay not to be okay. Usually that’s said in a way that is reassuring or a catalyst for change, but today I also want to talk about how this can help pave the way for a new normal surrounding mental health. We’re building a future where it must be okay not to be okay and if I’m being honest, we don’t have any other choice.

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Mental Health Resources to Know And Share During Mental Health Awareness Month

Nathan Smith3 Comments

Today’s post will be a little shorter than usual, but there’s a good reason for that. Sharing our experiences around mental health is crucial to shrinking the stigma and improving the way we treat mental health in our communities, but it’s also important to share resources. Mental health resources exist in many more places than we might think, and by connecting with these organizations and sharing them with others, we can make sure others have the resources they need, when they need them.

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A Look at Mental Health in the United States During Mental Health Awareness Month 2022

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Last year, I took a deep dive into some statistics and data surrounding mental health and the LGBTQIA+ community during Pride Month. I think that diving into data and statistics is one of the clearest ways to make mental health visible in our society. The more we use anecdotal evidence or rely on assumptions, the harder it is to have a conversation around mental health and mental illness. That being said, I tried to find the most recent data I could to figure out the state of mental health in the United States.

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