"For 65 years, Mental Health America and our affiliates across the country have led the observance of May is Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings. The 2014 May is Mental Health Month theme is “Mind Your Health.” Our goals are to build public recognition about the importance of mental health to overall health and wellness; inform people of the ways that the mind and body interact with each other; and provide tips and tools for taking positive actions to protect mental health and promote whole health."--Mental Health America
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may
http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may
Mental health is extremely important to your overall physical health. This is a subject that is very close to my heart, but it can be immensely difficult to deal with. Don't do it alone, get help from family, friends, and organizations like the one above. May is a great month to do something for your mental health or another's.
Remember, those who are suffering with mental illness may not tell you what is going on with them.
When my son was going through an intense depression that resulted in a loss of reality, this is what happened:
Keeping true to Matthew’s ability to bury his emotions and thoughts deep inside, he was consumed with stress, anxiety, unsafe thoughts, and acute feelings of detachment, yet he said, “I’m fine.” He experienced an intense emotional overload that threatened to overwhelm him, and we didn’t even know.
“Death is the only thing I think about nowadays. Daily frustrations and then there is suicide. Happiness and then there is suicide. Suicide, suicide, suicide.”--Matthew’s journals
Remember, those who are suffering with mental illness may not tell you what is going on with them.
When my son was going through an intense depression that resulted in a loss of reality, this is what happened:
Keeping true to Matthew’s ability to bury his emotions and thoughts deep inside, he was consumed with stress, anxiety, unsafe thoughts, and acute feelings of detachment, yet he said, “I’m fine.” He experienced an intense emotional overload that threatened to overwhelm him, and we didn’t even know.
“Death is the only thing I think about nowadays. Daily frustrations and then there is suicide. Happiness and then there is suicide. Suicide, suicide, suicide.”--Matthew’s journals
My son was feeling all of the emotions I wrote in the paragraph above, but he said, "I'm fine." He didn't want to burden me or he was worried about rejection or judgment. Now if he tells me he is fine, I say, "Really? Tell me more about how you are feeling." And he does, good or bad.
It took a long time to connect with him and know how to talk to him about how he was feeling, but it was worth it in the end.
It took a long time to connect with him and know how to talk to him about how he was feeling, but it was worth it in the end.
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