“Mental Illness Awareness” School Project Request
October 17th, 2018 by
Mental illness awareness week is in October. Although there is a mental illness week many peoples experiences with trying to get help are negative. Due to these negative responses many people suffer in silence with no one to help them.
When people reach out many have harmful and hurtful things to say. This is what leads to the loneliness and isolation which can actually make things worse. To seek relief from these experiences many turn to social media. It can be helpful to know that they are not the only one having these experiences. However, without having a supportive network nearby, living with a mental illness can still be hard. There may be various reasons as to why people react negatively to mental illness. Some reasons include lack of information and awareness, concern for how the individual will be treated by others, or being unable to relate to this person’s experience. Even though public perception of mental health continues to move in a positive direction- there are still many people who do not treat these illnesses with compassion and understanding. That’s why I feel it is necessary to address this issue. I want those with mental illness to not only be able to live with a mental illness but thrive.
Learning and listening to the stories of those who have experienced or are experiencing mental illness goes a long way towards healing and acceptance. All you have to do is listen. You do not have to try to “fix” someone. Just acknowledging someone’s experience can be so much better than unsought advice.
I would like to share the stories of people who are going through or have gone through a mental illness. Your story can be positive or negative. My goal is to destroy the stigma around mental health, but of course I can not do this alone. Please email me your personal experiences with mental illness, or any thoughts on how to better serve those affected. With your permission I will add your submissions to my project.
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