This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week, and a great time to think up one idea you could do to help eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness or to advocate for a friend or family member.
Two weeks ago, I volunteered to go to a local high school and present the NAMI signature program, Ending The Silence, to three sections of freshman health classes. The presentation's purpose is to combat stigma, raise awareness of mental illness and its warning signs, to break the taboo of discussing suicide, and to provide guidance on steps the kids can take if they or someone they know need help.
Twenty percent of youth ages 13-18 experience a mental health condition in a given year. As a parent, you may find yourself in the position of needing to get help for your child from the school.
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There are so many ways to help! Get involved and spread the word. Hope is real. Recovery is real. Help is real.