Help cure the stigma

October is typically known for pink ribbons to raise awareness about breast cancer. The green ribbon is sometimes less recognizable, but equally important, because it raises awareness of mental health.  The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is leading an initiative this month to address the stigma of mental health and ways to spread awareness through social media.

The stigma surrounding mental health affects all populations. Stigma is toxic to everyone’s mental health because it creates an environment of shame, fear and silence that prevents many people from seeking help and treatment.

According to the #CureStigma campaign:

• One in 5 adults in the United States lives with a mental health condition.
• Half of all lifetime mental health conditions begin by age 14 and 75% by age 24, but early intervention programs can help.
• African Americans and Hispanic Americans used mental health services at about half the rate of whites in the past year, and Asian Americans at about one-third the rate.

Stigma can be considered a virus impacting our communities and we can test for a virus. The perception of mental illness can change when each person decides to check their own stigma around mental health. Get tested for stigma, with just three questions, at CureStigma.org  There’s no easy cure for mental health conditions, but stigma can be cured.

Follow @BeWellGSU on social media and #CureStigmaGSU to learn how we can cure the stigma surrounding mental health with compassion, empathy and understanding.