Closing Out Psychological Well being Consciousness Month 2022 – My Mind’s Not Damaged

Yearly once I attain the top of Psychological Well being Consciousness Month, I attempt to mirror. I mirror on psychological well being within the state of my neighborhood, my metropolis and my nation, and I'm wondering if something has occurred this month that might result in substantial change. This 12 months, I've to say I’m just a little discouraged. I do know I’m normally just a little extra optimistic about psychological well being consciousness, however after this month it looks like we've got a lot of it backwards. That’s why, to shut out this month, I need to share why speaking about psychological well being – the proper means – is extra necessary now than ever.

There’s one thing that I’ve seen extra over the previous few years that I’ve tried to not interact with. It’s principally as a result of I’m unsure how you can even unpack all of it, however I can’t put it off anymore. I'm sick and bored with the way in which psychological well being and psychological sickness is weaponized by others. I do know this dialog is extra sophisticated and nuanced, however I wanted to get this off my chest.

And although it is a huge subject to unpack, it begins by acknowledging one thing many individuals ignore: experiencing psychological sickness is troublesome. For a lot of, it feels unattainable. However psychological sickness doesn't excuse folks from their actions, and it's not a catch-all explainer for why somebody is the way in which they're.

This can be a central level surrounding psychological well being that I’ve realized this month. Regardless of our conversations round psychological well being, regardless of pushing for person-first language and shifting the narrative round psychological well being and psychological sickness, it’s clear that many individuals have the mistaken concept about psychological well being and psychological sickness. So, what can we do?

The work should proceed. Individuals should maintain sharing their experiences, and we have to maintain jamming psychological well being into any dialog surrounding well being and wellness. We are able to’t let myths or misconceptions about psychological well being go unchallenged, and we have to push individuals who discuss a “mental health problem” by asking extra questions and attending to the center of what they imply.

There’s a variety of work to do, however I received’t faux this month hasn’t been just a little discouraging for me. However it’s additionally made me obvious that so many extra folks must heal earlier than we will construct one thing higher, and a part of that's creating room for troublesome conversations and house to take a seat with our emotions and feelings. We are able to construct a greater world, however we will’t do it with out acknowledging what’s in entrance of us. I hope you get what you want this week, mates, and that you simply relaxation the place you have to struggle one other day. Peace and love.

What's one thing new that you simply realized about psychological well being and wellness throughout Psychological Well being Consciousness Month? I need to hear from you! Let me know within the feedback under.