Mental Health Matters
May is Mental Health month and I am collaborating with Ohio Opioid Education Alliance all month long in order to help raise awareness & host much needed conversations about all things mental health related. Throughout the month, we will be discussing important topics such as postpartum depression, children’s health, men’s mental health; challenges in Latino community; new stressors for women; LGBTQ community challenges and everything in between. Together we can learn more and do more to help those battling with mental health to get treatment and not feel shame. The Ohio Opioid Education Alliance is a public-private partnership focused on raising awareness of the addiction crisis in Ohio. It is comprised of over 100 business, education, nonprofit, civic and government organizations. The Alliance’s objective is to challenge the mindsets of Ohioans, including reframing the approach to drug misuse prevention and eliminating stigmas associated with addiction and mental illness.
Expanding Beyond Opioids
The global pandemic has exacerbated substance misuse overall as well as mental health issues. Alcohol sales have surged, drug overdoses are spiking and more Ohioans are reporting deteriorating mental health. Research proves that Ohioans are aware that addiction and mental illness are on the rise, and information about help is widely available, yet many are not seeking the help they need or are unwilling to talk about the struggles they are experiencing. One critical barrier to seeking help is stigma.
Stigmas are negative beliefs and attitudes about people or topics and they’re unfortunately very common, especially when it comes to mental illness and addiction. Mental illness and addiction are complex medical conditions with underlying causes. The stigma around mental illness and addiction often create shame for those struggling and keep them from seeking the help they need. Together, we want to eliminate that shame. We want to beat the stigma of addiction and mental illness.
BEAT THE STIGMA
BEAT THE STIGMA
This month (and beyond) we are on a mission to help Ohioans understand that addiction and mental illness are complex diseases — partly the result of genetics and other factors, which are largely out of a person’s control, and not the result of moral failings or poor character. The Beat the Stigma campaign will encourage Ohioans to do three things:
Challenge what you know about addiction. When you see someone who lives with addiction, there’s always more to the story than you know. Practice empathy, not judgement.
Know your risk. If there’s a history of addiction in your family, know that this increases your risk for addiction. Know your risk and talk to your loved ones about what this means so they can make informed choices.
Take care of your mental health. Mental health challenges can put you at risk for substance misuse.