May is Mental Health Awareness Month

"April showers bring May flowers"

Hello everyone! Welcome to the official blog of the Wellness Center at Northern Vermont University, Johnson. Our goal by creating this blog is to provide our community with resources and content related to wellness in one functioning and easily accessible place. We hope you are able to utilize all we have to offer, and appreciate your support!

Besides an introduction, our initial post celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month. While mental health should be supported every day of the year, this month in particular hosts various events recognizing mental health, and resources are produced that spread a message of hope and awareness of mental health disorders and illnesses.

Mental health is still incredibly prevalent in our country. 1 in 5 people will experience a mental disorder or illness at some point in their lifetime, and over 47 million people currently suffer from a chronic mental health condition. With statistics like these, it's hard to deny many people in our country are affected by mental health issues in some form or another.

Furthermore, over 90% of those who die by suicide have a pre-existing mental health condition. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among younger populations in our country, ages 10-34. It is the 4th leading cause of death for seniors, ages 50+. These statistics illustrate that mental health is not only vital, but should be taken seriously, and more can be done to help.

But what can you do? There are a multitude of ways to support mental health as a community, but the most productive avenue is advocacy and using your voice: being vocal about certain issues that are important to you, especially in the face of ignorance or indifference, helps tremendously, and spreads awareness to your community.

Typically during MHAM, fundraisers, events, and in-person promotions take place across the country; however, with the unexpected pandemic and stay-at-home orders, we must now utilize our voices through online participation. Despite this setback, advocacy and awareness can continue to thrive, it is just up to us to make that happen.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a great tool to utilize for this purpose. Their campaign #CureStigma allows users to recognize their own biases, and explore the different ways they can combat stigma both within themselves and with those around them. Stigma is very real, and incredibly harmful to those who have a mental health condition. It is defined as any perception of judgement from another person, bullying, or even discrimination, and unfortunately it is a problem in our country. Because of stigma, 1 in 5 United States residents are unable to seek the help they need and deserve.

As a member of the NVU-Johnson community, we are responsible for looking out for our peers, and providing a safe space for them to work, live, and learn. That is why we would love for everyone in our community to take the pledge to end stigma, and do what you can to use your voice against prejudice. Check out the NAMI website for more on how you can be a needed ally during this time, and to take the stigma quiz to understand your own bias and how you can grow and evolve from it.