May is Mental Health Awareness Month, providing an opportunity to raise awareness, combat stigma, and promote mental health resources. During this month, organizations and individuals come together to highlight the importance of mental health and wellness, celebrate recovery from mental illness, and advocate for better mental health support. This year’s theme for Mental Health Month is “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World.”
In a constantly evolving world, it can be overwhelming to navigate those changes happening around us. The pressures of work, relationships, and societal factors like politics, climate change, and the economy can significantly impact our mental well-being, sometimes more than we realize. While society is becoming more comfortable discussing mental health, it can still be difficult to know where to start when these pressures affect our daily lives. What do we do when we experience signs and symptoms of a mental health condition?
In the 2024 Mental Health Month toolkit, you’ll find resources to help you understand how the modern world affects mental health and discover coping strategies. Empower yourself to act by building your coping toolbox or advocating for improved mental health in your community. Let’s prioritize our mental well-being together in this changing world. Your actions, no matter how small, contribute to creating communities that value and support mental health.
If you have any questions about Mental Health Month, check out the Mental Health information and brochures available from NIH Institute of Mental Health.
Remember, taking care of our mental health is essential, and seeking help is a sign of strength. Let’s continue to raise awareness and support one another.
If you know anyone with a mental health emergency, there is a relatively new emergency number –988- to call. The older suicide hotline 800-273-8255 is available as is the Montgomery County Hotline 301-738-2255 where there is someone available to talk, even if suicide is not the issue.