The Importance Of Mental Health Awareness – CBT Kenya

Being aware of your overall health is important so that you can detect any symptoms and seek professional help when necessary. While everyone is familiar with the symptoms and treatment options for common illnesses that affect their loved ones, like the flu, migraines, and (most recently) COVID-19, many people are unsure how to look after their mental health.

Raising mental health awareness can help you to understand your symptoms, find professional treatment, and, perhaps most importantly, break the mental health stigma that leaves so many people suffering in secret.

Ways You Can Help in the Mental Health Field

• Take on a career path where you can make a positive, lasting impact. If you’re interested in pursuing a career in mental health, there are a number of fields that offer an opportunity to provide care to those afflicted. Consider a future in counseling, psychology, psychiatry, social work, or nursing.
• Talk about mental health more openly. Talk to those around you about how they are feeling, and take the time to truly listen. Check in regularly, especially if you know they are under strain or dealing with a mental illness.
• Don’t leave children out of it. Kids are naturally curious and have questions about everything, including mental health. Adults can help children understand that mental illnesses are real illnesses that can be treated. You can be a part of changing the conversation for future generations.
• Learn the signs and symptoms of various mental health illnesses. Mental illness can take many forms and therefore be hard to identify. As a result, many who could benefit from professional treatment don’t get the help they need as quickly as they should, if at all. Understanding the warning signs and how you can help your loved one cope once they’re receive a diagnosis will help decrease the number of people who suffer in silence without advocates.

Why is mental health awareness important?

1. When the importance of mental health awareness is emphasized, more people will be encouraged to seek help. Sometimes it’s hard to put a finger on what exactly is bothering you, but if you are aware of mental illness and some of the associated signs and symptoms, you will be more likely to figure out what is going on and to seek help for it.
2. The more you know about mental health, the better able you will be to care for yourself and live a healthy, balanced life. If mental health is something you struggle with, your awareness of it can make all the difference. It can encourage you to not only seek help but to incorporate activities into your daily life that help you feel like your best self.
3. We need to teach our children that there is nothing wrong with having a mental health illness and that seeking help is perfectly normal and acceptable. It’s never too early to make children aware of mental health. In fact, the younger a child is when they hear about the importance of mental health awareness, the more likely they will be open about it.
4. The more vocal people are about mental health concerns and the more awareness there is, the more likely it will be that leaders will take notice and start to implement more mental health services. We can only hope that one day, it will be easier for more people to seek help for their mental health

Break the Mental Health Stigma

Much work has been done to raise awareness about mental health and mental disorders, but there is still so much more to go. For many of us, it feels taboo to talk about our experiences with mental disorders. We may still feel that it is something that we should take care of ourselves and not share around. This can feel isolating. Like no one else in the world knows what we’re going through.

This is why we need awareness. So we feel free to start talking about our experiences and support one another through the internal battles we experience. So we can feel comfortable with seeking out support and saying, hey, I need help. So we can learn about mental disorders and know red flags when they appear. So we know how to achieve mental health and help others to do the same.

Take away

Every person can play an important role in helping someone with a mental illness feel comfortable. Have open conversations and encourage those who need it to seek support. Being an advocate, raising awareness, and taking action in support of mental health conditions can break down barriers and improve the well-being of millions of people.