Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health

“Breaking the Stigma of Mental Health”
Min. Katrenia White

Due to mental health stigmatization many people ignore or deny the fact that they have challenges emotionally and mentally. Some are passed down in the form of generational curses and others occur due to some type of trauma, abuse, pain, abandonment and neglect. Here are just a few nuggets to remember as we move into another year.

Increase your Awareness

We hide our struggles to avoid being misunderstood, judged and rejection. It is okay to not be okay BUT it is never okay to not be okay and don’t reach out for help. Your support system can be a friend, family, church leaders and more serious escalation a therapist. There are so many suffering in silence and too many premature deaths because of pride or judgement.

Learning to Accept Challenges

This is also important but not in a way to use acceptance to be defeated but in a way to use coping skills to control and minimize the effects of your depression and etc. This is no different than someone one who has diabetes and need to medicate to avoid life threatening symptoms. Acceptance should look like, I understand my challenges and gaining insight to what I need to do to avoid aggressive and passive suicidal or homicidal ideations.

Take Action against challenges

This is basically means do something about your illness and challenges. We call them coping skills in professional terms. Doing things you love to slow your emotions down to allow you to regain control. This normally take 30 minutes and look like things such as exercise, listening to music, walking away from an argument until both parties have calm down, reading a book, definitely prayer and meditation and talking to a TRUSTED friend or love one. Also, for some it may require meditation management short-term or long-term. Again, Mental Health should be taken just as serious as Medical health, THEY DIRECTLY AFFECT EACH OTHER.

Remember:
Awareness, Acceptance and taking actions allows one to grow and mature into emotional intelligence. This takes time, effort, and consistency.

3 John 2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.