May is Mental Health awareness month in the United States, shining a light on topics surrounding mental health that affect millions of Americans every day. These conditions affect the daily lives of 1 in 5 U.S. adults, with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a rise of anxiety and depression symptoms in adults.
Mental illnesses are serious conditions that must be cared for in the same way we would any physical illness we may face. Unfortunately, the long-standing stigma against these conditions has made it extremely difficult for people to speak up about their struggles in order to receive treatment.
Starting discussions about these problems that so many Americans face has the potential to make a large impact on their quality of life and on the alarming rate of crime and suicide we are facing. Mental Health Awareness month aims to spread awareness and educate about the different types of mental health conditions affecting your communities and loved ones.
The month of May has many community events that center around mental health education including lunches, yoga, and talks with mental health professionals.
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To learn more about mental health conditions that can affect you and your community, visit the following resources:
● CalMHSA - California Mental Health Services Authority (English and Spanish): https://takeaction4mh.com/resources/
● Multicultural Mental Health Centre (English and Spanish): https://multiculturalmentalhealth.ca/consumer-information/mental-health-information-resources-in-spanish/
NBC4 in the Community
● Mental Health America (Spanish): https://mhanational.org/recursos-en-espanol
● NAMI - National Institute on Mental Health (English): https://nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions
● SanaMente - Movimiento de Salud Mental de California (Spanish): https://www.sanamente.org/
● Suicide & Crisis Hotline (English and Spanish): https://988lifeline.org/current-events/the-lifeline-and-988/
- Call or text 988 to be connected to a trained counselor
Local Resources:
● Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (English and Spanish): https://dmh.lacounty.gov/resources/
○ LACDMH Take Action for Mental Health L.A. County events for May and June: takeactionlac.com/community-events.
○ Resource Guide for people living with disabilities: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dmh/1120824_ResourceGuide-AccessForAll.pdf
● MHALA - Mental Health America of Los Angeles (English): https://www.mhala.org/
● NAMI - National Institute on Mental Health Greater Los Angeles County (English): https://www.namiglac.org/
