Since 1949, the month of May has been recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. Statistically, about one in four Americans will experience a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year. More than 50% of us will be diagnosed at some point in our lifetimes.
I’m not sure why those numbers still come as a surprise. Maybe it’s the hyper-independent, pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps mindset that comes with our heritage. Maybe it’s because we fail to remember that the brain is an organ like any other in the body — subject to illness and imbalance. Whatever the reason, Mental Health Awareness Month is a good reminder for a check-up. Even if your mental health status is copacetic, this is a good time to implement some quality self care and preventative care habits. That could include meditation, prayer, better work-life balance, psychotherapy, improved diet and exercise, or making changes to your social habits, hobbies, or coping mechanisms.
It’s also a good time to become aware and active of the status of mental health care and become an advocate. Statewide reporting in the last year has revealed giant fissures in our mental health care system. It’s going to take all of us speaking up and working toward improvements to get that to change.
With that said, the Colorado News Collaborative and Colorado Public Radio are hosting a statewide conversation about mental health care reforms and the mental health safety net on May 17 from 5:30-7 p.m. The conversation will be held in person in Denver at the Buell Public Media Center and live-streamed on YouTube. Register here (it’s free): https://www.eventbrite.com/e/on-edge-a-statewide-conversation-about-colorados-mental-health-safety-net-registration-326979052147 and enter your questions about the mental health safety net system. For mental health resources and additional information, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website at www.nami.org.
Our sadly broken mental health care system has a ripple effect that impacts all of us. Many of the social concerns we rant and rail about — substance abuse, domestic violence, homelessness, child abuse and neglect, crime, etc. — have roots that are deeply entrenched in undiagnosed or untreated mental illness. Improving awareness and treatment for mental illness would go a long way toward improving our societal troubles overall.
By NIKI TURNER – editor@editorht1885.com
