This month holds a special place in my heart. May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
As a mental health professional and advocate it’s important to spread awareness throughout this month. We often don’t realize what someone is struggling with on the inside. You can’t judge someone based on their work performance, Instagram profile, or how they behavior in front of us.
Many individuals struggle in the silence of their minds. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 5 U.S adults experience mental illness each year. 50% of all lifetime mental illness begin by age 14, and 75% begins by 24. Suicide is currently the 2nd leading cause of death among people between the ages of 10-14!
As a professional who works with adolescent and young adults, I have noticed that many individuals mental health struggles often begin years before they seek treatment.
How does one develop mental illness? Why do I struggle with mental illness? What could be the reason for my child’s behavior?
We can be born with particular chemical imbalances or have biological genes that can develop into mental illness. A perfect example is how two children growing up in a household with a parent who is an alcoholic and only ones develops substance use disorder. Both of those children have experience the same traumatic upbringing and one child can be at a higher risk of alcoholism due to their chemical make-up/personality genes. When we are born with particular traits it can increase our risk for mental illness. Does that mean you are doomed to fail? Absolutely not! It important to know if mental illness ruins in the family, as this can help individuals understand that particular steps need to be taken so ensure they get the appropriate support. Say addiction runs in your family and you notice yourself struggling with addictive behaviors, take action and go speak to someone to help you prevent any serious maladaptive behaviors developing. Knowing our family history helps us take necessary action in addressing our mental illness. If breast cancer runs in your family, women go for regular check-ups. So, why can’t we do the same for our mental health!
The environments we live in play a huge role in our mental health. Factors such as social environments, work, relationships, living conditions, race, gender and etc. all play a role in how we view ourselves and the world around us. It is important to recognize the impact our experiences have on us. Our core beliefs, self-narratives, and self-talk are often influenced by our experiences. Have you ever heard of adverse childhood experiences? Adverse childhood experiences, also known as ACE’s, are childhood trauma or adversities including abuse, bullying, witnessing violence, being a child divorce, and racism. ACEs can be any negative situation a child can face while growing up. Often our childhood environments and relationships influence our beliefs about ourselves. One thing I love to do when working with my clients is to have them create a timeline of their life. This helps my clients learn to identify particular life events or moments that have had an impact on them. I firmly believe that in order to challenge our negative beliefs and change our behaviors we have to understand why they developed in the first place.
If you are someone or know someone struggling with mental illness it's important to seek professional help! You are not alone! #mentalhealthawarenessmonth
Take time to look within and begin your healing journey in therapy with a professional!
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