May is Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and it is a month set aside to bring people together to show support and efforts for those who suffer from mental disorders and illnesses.
Mental illness is a physical illness of the brain that causes disturbances in thinking, behavior, energy, or emotion that makes it difficult to deal with the regular demands of life.
Nearly one in five American adults will be diagnosed with a mental health condition. The two most common types of mental disorders are anxiety and mood disorders.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, in Mississippi an estimated 27,000 Mississippians ages 12-17 have depression. Kay Daneault with the Mental Health Association of South MS said, “The more we talk about it and the more common it becomes part of our conversations and that just helps people to feel comfortable about taking that step and not feeling like they are the only ones going through this. There is someone out there who is going through something similar. So, there are support groups and things like that the people can go to and get that connection.”
For those looking to improve their mental health you can call the Mental Health Association of South Mississippi at 228-864-6274 or visit msmentalhealth.org.
