May is Mental Health Month

Anyone who’s paid attention over the past 18 months knows we have an active group of smart, sincere individuals working to improve mental health in Rock County.
The #Luv1LuvAll Brain Health Committee led a series of informative sessions to call attention to mental health as a key component in a community’s overall success.
One of the most important themes from one meeting to the next is that brain health is the same as cardiovascular health or vision health or dental health.
Mental illnesses are common. Each year, one in five adults experiences some mental illness, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
One in five.
Conditions could stem from brain injuries, chemical imbalances, stressful life circumstances, sleep deprivation or a number of other causes.
But the point is our brain health needs attention like any other part of our bodies.
And when brain health needs attention, we should address it no differently than we would a gout flare-up, a sinus infection or a sprained ankle.
We should seek professional help.
Yet, thanks to lingering stigma surrounding mental illness, someone with acute anxiety would rather suffer in silence than seek medical attention.
It’s the equivalent of a person with heart disease ignoring chest pain for fear of being viewed a lesser person.
The #Luv1LuvAll Brain Health group has worked hard to lay the groundwork in our community for practical and compassionate approaches to improving local mental health.
It’s up to us to carry that work forward.
First, don’t be part of the problem. Don’t stigmatize mental illness. If someone suffers from anxiety, they’re not “crazy.” Their brain health simply needs attention.
Second, pay attention to your own mental health. If depression is hanging on and is affecting your daily life, seek medical attention. There’s no need to suffer in silence.
Finally, get educated about mental health and the symptoms and causes of brain health conditions.
Learn about them for yourself, should your own brain health need attention, and for those around you, should a friend or loved one need your help.
May is Mental Health Month. There’s no better time than now to get in shape and be healthy, from head to toe.
Learn more at Luv1LuvAll’s Facebook page where videos of the brain health sessions are archived.