“You can’t tell just by looking at someone what they are dealing with inside.”

If you didn’t know already it’s May, and this month is Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as “Mental Health Month”) has been observed in May in the United States since 1949, reaching millions of people in the United States through the media, local events, and screenings. Now, I don’t know about you, but if I didn’t believe in mental illness (which I do because I’m a certified Christian counselor, with goals of becoming an professional mental health counselor), or viewed it as a stigma, after watching Kanye West’s meltdown these past couple of weeks, honey, he would have made me a believer. Kanye West was hospitalized in November 2016 for a nervous breakdown. And in his interview with nationally syndicated radio host Charlamagne, he spoke openly about his mental health, addiction to opioids, and his past hospitalization. 

So, for the month of May my blog posts will focus on mental health, from the different types of mental illnesses, to the professional treatments that are available, and different ways we can improve our attitudes and mental health on a everyday basis. Let’s face it many of us neglect our mental health, we spend a lot of our time focusing on our physical appearance, social status, relationship status, spiritual well being (which is great), but behind closed doors we are having mental breakdowns (trust me, I’ve been there). Many of us are walking around with masks on our faces, portraying as if we’re happy, but we are slowly dying on the inside, and this has to change. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Over the course of your life, if you experience mental health problems, your thinking, mood, and behavior could be affected. Many factors contribute to mental health problems, including:

•Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry

•Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse

•Family history of mental health problems

Mental health problems are common, and there should not be a stigma attached to it, especially in the “black” community. The good news is that help is available, and people with mental health problems can get better and many recover completely.

“The strongest people are not those who show strength in front of the world but those who fight and win battles that others do not know anything about.”