When Mental Health Awareness Month Is Over

May was Mental Health Awareness Month; the month to shine a light on all mental illness sport the color of lime green to raise awareness. MHAM is important because it gives people suffering from mental illness the opportunity to share their stories and speak out against stigma. But just because MHAM is over, that does not mean we stop talking about mental illness and the affect it has on those who suffer from it.

Sufferers should not be given just one month out of the year to feel safe enough to speak out about their mental illness. They shouldn’t have just 31 days to feel open and unashamed. There is no shame in having a mental illness, and no shame when we share our personal experiences. People who suffer from mental illness are shamed by society and are called weak for needing help through therapy and medication. But, having a mental illness does not make one weak, in fact, I believe those with mental illnesses are stronger than most people because they fight a battle every day.

We need an army to fight and need support and understanding of mental illness. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and society needs to know that. The only way society will understand is if we keep talking, and keep fighting the stigma. It is so important to educate about mental illness and not just during MHAM. Through education about mental illness, we can work toward ending the unfair stigma attached to it.

Having a mental illness is not a badge of shame, and that is what the world needs to know. Talking about mental illness should not be confined to just one month, and should always be welcomed as a topic of conversation. Maybe we won’t talk about about it as often as we discuss the weather, but we need to be just as comfortable and open to talk about it. Mental illness affects people every second of every day, and that needs to be recognized all the time, by everyone.