Mental Health Awareness Month: Breaking the Stigma
May is Mental Health Awareness Month!
For those of us in the mental health field, we are hearing this statement seemingly everywhere. At Supportive Engagement, we are honored to be part of this crucial conversation. Mental health awareness is more than just a topic—it’s a movement toward education, understanding, and support for those who need it.
As we step into May, our goal is to:
Spread awareness about mental health issues
Encourage open conversations about emotional well-being
Support individuals seeking mental health resources and treatment
The Reality of Mental Health Challenges
While learning new statistics about mental health can be discouraging, acknowledging the reality is the first step toward change. Mental health conditions affect people of all ages, races, and genders. Here are some important mental health facts to consider:
1 in 5 adults experiences mental illness each year.
1 in 6 youth (ages 6-17) experiences a mental health disorder annually.
2 out of 3 people with mental health challenges do not seek help.
Suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the 2nd leading cause of death for individuals aged 10-40.
These numbers emphasize why mental health awareness is crucial—not just during May but every day.
Mental Health Conditions Are Not Always Visible
As a licensed mental health counselor, I am proud to practice in an era where conversations about mental health are shifting from stigmatized to normalized. However, one key message I want to highlight is that mental health conditions don’t always look the same in every individual.
Mental health struggles can be invisible, making it difficult to recognize symptoms in ourselves and others. For example:
Someone can feel anxious and still appear confident.
A person can be depressed and still laugh or make jokes.
Individuals in relationships may still feel completely alone.
Generous people can still feel worthless to others.
A person experiencing suicidal thoughts may still go to work and seem "fine."
Because mental health challenges are often unseen, people may feel silenced, dismissed, or reluctant to seek help. This is why compassion and kindness—toward ourselves and others—are vital when it comes to mental well-being.
Join Us in Spreading Awareness
At Supportive Engagement, we are committed to advocating for mental wellness and supporting those affected by mental health challenges. This Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite you to:
Share mental health resources with your community
Start conversations to help break the stigma
Normalize seeking emotional support and professional mental health services
Together, we can create a world where mental health is treated with the same importance as physical health. Let’s work toward a future where no one suffers in silence.
