There is an unfair and inaccurate stigma surrounding individuals who suffer from mental health conditions. The World Federation for Mental Health has devoted the efforts of their life’s work to erase those stigmas, starting with the official institution of October 10th’s World Mental Health Day. The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to broaden the world’s understanding of mental health, its prevalence, and the importance of mental health treatment.
At Discovery Institute in Marlboro, New Jersey, we provide resources on how you can help raise awareness during World Mental Health Day.
Why is World Mental Health Day Celebrated?
It’s vital to be aware year-round of the hardships and importance of preserving mental health and the significance of mental health treatment. However, October 10th is your opportunity to magnify your efforts on a global platform. Bearing that to heart, here are just some of the many reasons we celebrate the need with World Mental Health Day activities and awareness efforts.
As alluded to in the introduction, several unfair false presumptions surround people who struggle with mental health. Perhaps the most prominent is the idea that somehow people with mental health conditions are ‘crazy’. Not only does this ideology prevent people from getting the treatment they need. It’s a toxic mentality that discourages mental health sufferers into deeper depression, potentially leading to fatal consequences.
Many people commit to concealing their mental health struggles and the extent of their battle. Many do so out of unfounded embarrassment stemming from global stigmas. Others simply hold back because they don’t wish to be a burden on others, especially their loved ones. You can utilize World Mental Health Day activities to promote the truth that there’s no shame in getting treatment. Your encouragement could be just the push someone needs to get mental health treatment.
Roughly one out of every five adults struggles with mental health globally. Therefore, it is important to enlighten the general public with how common mental health struggles are. This awareness serves the multipurpose of erasing mental illness stigma and exploiting how common mental illness is globally. This exploitation alone helps individuals feel more comfortable opening up about their mental health struggles. Your awareness efforts truly make a difference in the lives and families of people battling mental illness.
Loneliness is a big contributor to inducing and worsening mental health symptoms and struggles. Your labor for the cause does not go unnoticed, encouraging the families and individuals battling mental illness. Your loyalty to the cause can help mentally reinforce a struggling person or family with the confidence they need to keep pushing forward.
How Can You Get Involved in World Mental Health Day Activities?
There are numerous opportunities to get involved in the mental illness epidemic not just on October 10th, but throughout the year. The problem is many people fail to get involved because they don’t know where to start. It’ll surprise you how easy it is to get involved in the cause if you know where to look. Here are just a few starting points to help you assert yourself in World Mental Health Day activities.
Mental health facilities and physicians need funding for research, treatment efficacy, and medical tools to equip themselves in the fight against mental diseases. Therefore, If you have the financial means to support local mental health clinics, hospitals, and support groups, you can help be part of the solution. Every little bit helps and your financial contributions go a long way in finding a more permanent solution to mental health in your area.
The best way to show a sincere effort in the battle against mental illness is to volunteer your services. A few examples of volunteer services consist of joining a support group, volunteering at a suicide hotline, or becoming an accountability partner. Consult local facilities, hotline services, or therapy resources in your area to see how you can volunteer your efforts in the fight against mental health struggles. The Discovery Institute has numerous resources to help you get involved.
You can raise awareness wherever you are by correcting stigma speech and behavior you encounter throughout the day. It’s important to take a stand every day. It’s these little actions through your example in your daily life that go a long way in supporting people around the globe who suffer from mental illness This helps you advocate on behalf of mental health sufferers everywhere by slowly righting the wrongs of stigmatic behaviors. Utilizing such awareness is vital to incorporate into your everyday life to help you practice what you preach.
A local community board is often filled with walks and awareness events you can attend to have your efforts and voice heard. Taking the time to attend these walks, events, or programs can make an impact in your community. These walks help support families and individuals who struggle with their mental health. This shows people around you how much you care and can encourage others to get involved as well.
You’d be surprised how easy it is to start an event yourself. All it takes is a clipboard and going door-to-door, explaining your events to take names to attend your cause. Once you’ve organized your list of attendees, submit your event idea to the community service board and make it official. These gatherings can be anything such as a fund drive, hosting a breakfast, a walk, or a testimonial session just to name a few.
This was included passively in a prior point. Yet, there’s no better way to help you brainstorm ideas to get involved than checking out your local community board. This has every event, every drive, and every possible opportunity to actively join the cause. This could even be your greatest resource to help you get creative with your ideas to host an event for World Mental Health activities.
What are Specific Mental Health Day Activities?
Among the events that occur every day to support mental health awareness, there are specific activities reserved for World Mental Health Day. The activities below are a few common social gathering ideas that make mental health awareness the focus of their fellowship. All of which, are family-friendly recreations the whole family can enjoy.
A fun and therapeutic way to get people to come together without anybody feeling alone is to do an escape room. These escape room exercises are not only fun, they help people of different mentalities combine their minds for a common cause. The endgame message in support of mental health is it takes a team effort to combine our minds and labor to accomplish the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal in the case of mental illness is to be a support and recovery aid to anybody struggling with mental health issues.
One activity that helps encourage open expression of one’s struggles is mental health discussions and testimonials. These gatherings allow individuals battling mental illness to share their stories, hardships, and triumphs on an open platform. It also enables families and individuals with mental health issues to alleviate the pain they’ve been bottling up for so long. As these sessions commence, more and more people often feel more comfortable sharing their stories. Also, sharing your firsthand testimony could be the motivation and encouragement somebody needs to make a breakthrough in their battle with mental illness.
A community cleaning day is a very productive event in which people within the community gather to clean up their environment. Taking the effort to collectively band together to clean their neighborhood does more than provide a sense of meaningful purpose. It often has a therapeutic mentally cleansing feeling of clearing out one’s mind of the hardships and strains of mental health conditions. It also can alleviate the mental tolls of mental health condition symptoms in the most liberating ways.
Physical exercise is scientifically proven to improve mental health and alleviate mental condition symptoms. That’s why communities host mental health walks and jogs that serve a dual purpose. First, it relieves anxiety related to mental health problems and second, it brings the community together to exercise to support those struggling with mental health.
Discovery Institute Can Help You Discover Better Quality of Life
Our team of caring physicians understands the hardships that come with battling mental health. It can be difficult to see the light beyond the overcast skies, but it doesn’t change the fact that the sun is still there. Allow us to help you remove the clouds that conceal the sun and see the gleam of life’s joys. Regardless of the struggles you face, we will show you how to be joyful through the storm. That way, when the sun does come out, you’ll be able to live life to the fullest. Contact us today.
Dr. Joseph Ranieri D.O. earned his BS in Pharmacy at Temple University School of Pharmacy in 1981 and His Doctorate Degree in Osteopathic Medicine at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1991. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and a Diplomate of the American Board of Preventive Medicine Addiction Certification. Dr. Ranieri has lectured extensively to physicians, nurses, counselors and laypeople about the Disease of Addiction throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania since 2012.
