Every year, millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. As we continue to see cases of anxiety, depression and self-harm rise at staggering rates, it’s important to raise awareness about the importance of mental health.
As we approach Mental Health Awareness Month this May, Empower Your Mind Therapy aims to fight the stigma of seeking help for mental health, educate people about the importance of mental wellbeing and support everyone who needs it – especially those with mental illness and their families. We want to bring a focused attention to the importance of mental health and the need to build consistent and equitable awareness and support for all.
What does mental health mean to us and why do we work to bring awareness to it?
Mental health is all about how people think, feel and behave. It refers to the status and quality of our behavioral and emotional wellbeing as it relates to our internal and external world.
Awareness allows for the de-stigmatization of mental health concerns and difficulties, and allows many people to seek help and feel comfortable to be open and honest about their struggles.
This means that not only does mental health have to do with our own person, but it is also closely associated with how we relate to others, build relationships, handle stress and make important life decisions.
Education and knowledge is key in our ability to understand ourselves and the world around us.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) posits that mental health is a combination of our biological, psychological and sociological environments:
- Biological includes our abilities or disabilities and the natural quality of our physical health.
- Psychological refers to the inner workings of our mind, including our self-esteem, self-confidence, coping skills, social skills, emotions, thoughts, behaviors and how we categorize and define the world (schemas).
- Sociological refers to the environment around us including our culture, family, work, school and peers.
What may affect one person, may not affect another in the same way, thus we all have different needs in order to cope with distress.
There is a common thread that runs through every EYMT therapist and their reason to become a mental health professional. We have a deep desire to understand each and every client intrinsically and help empower others to make positive changes in their life while providing a safe and validating space for treatment.
The importance of CULTIVATING and EMBRACING our mental health instead of repressing, hiding, or feeling shameful around it is important. We continue to work together to help provide support, while allowing others to feel less shameful, guilty and negative about the difficulties they face.
Remember: Mental health is important for everyone. This is a lifelong journey to betterment and it’s okay to ask for help.
Click here to schedule a free consultation during Mental Health Awareness Month or learn more about how we can help support you or your teen on this mental health journey.
