World Mental Health Day - You Matter!
How are you feeling today? This coming Monday, October 10th is World Mental Health Day. When is the last time you took a Mental Health Day? Perhaps you can get one in before the holidays arrive. You see it is imperative for your psychological and emotional well-being to be operating at an optimum level for you to function properly throughout the day. When things seem off or out of place it may be time to take an adult time out to destress and avoid burning oneself out. It may be time to sit back and reflect or simply slow down and do nothing. As humans, we are not meant to be running 24-7, it is impossible, and something will eventually have to give, so take a step back and make a conscious decision that if you feel you need to take a break or some time off, take it. If you don’t have any days, ask your employer for some empathy and work something out like maybe leaving early or coming in later. Let them know where you are at mentally and what you are feeling; not everyone is in tuned with what is going on with you or anyone else for that matter. Everyone has a lot going on, so communicate what is going on with you to alleviate some of the overwhelm.
What is World Mental Health Day?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the purpose for this day is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. This October day initiative was set in place since 2013 by WHO. The World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) announced the theme for World Health Day 2022 to be “Make mental health for all a global priority".
Why is World Mental Health Day Important?
World Mental Health Day is important because the initiative was developed to bring awareness to the suffering that people may be going through every day of their lives. This awareness campaign comes at a time when more families and communities are impacted by those they know and those they do not know who are suffering from some form of mental health issue; heck it can be even themselves that is going through something. 1 in 5 American adults experience a mental health disorder in a single year. 50% of Americans experience mental illness during their lifetime. More than 20 million Americans ages 12 and older will face an addiction of some sort. To make matters worst, in the year 2020, nearly 46,000 people died from suicide in America in that year alone. 12.2 million adults seriously thought about suicide, 3.2 million planned to commit suicide and 1.2 million attempted suicides; 30% more suicides were committed in 2020 than 2000. The suicide rate in men is 4x that of women. People 74+ followed by those 25-34 were the ones with the highest thoughts of suicides with all other ages not too far behind the others, besides those that are10-14. These numbers are quite alarming and if they weren’t taken seriously before, they really need to be looked at on a significant level now.
What to do when in need:
If you know of someone who is acting differently or voicing suicidal thoughts, or if you are having continuous negative or suicidal thoughts, suffering from anxiety or depression there is help that is available for you. You are not alone, please call or text 988, or use online Chat (veteranscrisisline.net) to talk to a representative who are there to listen to you with no judgment. Signed into law in 2020, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act authorized 988 as the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Please use this number when life seems too heavy to cope with or it appears that no one is there for you, near you or you just need to talk.
You can also reach out to:
SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline @ 800-985-5990
SAMHSA’s National Helpline For treatment referral @ 800-662-4357 or text your zip code to 435748.
The Trevor Project can be reached @ 866-488-7386 or text 678, 678 or chat @ TheTrevorProject.org
National Sexual Assault Hotline is available @ 8000-656-4672 (HOPE)
NEDA HELPLINE CALL OR TEXT 800-931-2237
In case of an extreme emergency or if you can’t get ahold of anyone at any of the above numbers or sites, call 911
Remember: Always reach out if you feel you need help, life is hard, but you do not have to go through it alone. Help is available. Encourage yourself to take the first step by picking up the phone or getting to a library or a place of solace to use the internet to connect with a live representative. Also, check on your family and friends periodically. You never know what someone is going through. Your words of encouragement or ear in holding space may be what is needed to get through some arduous situations
Reference:
CDC- Suicide Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/suicide/suicide-data-statistics.html