July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
Mental health is a part of overall health, yet in the modern era some people still struggle to accept that participating in treatment for this is similar to seeking medical help of any kind. There is often a stigma associated with mental health concerns, which dates back to times where any deviation from the limited definition of normal meant being shunned from society. Even with many breakthroughs in treatment and acceptance in general medical practice, there are still hurdles in accepting the realities of mental illness.
Culture and mental health
For some, the challenges come from their environment. Everyone is unique and doesn’t go through or respond the same way to experiences. Diverse nationalities, ethnicities, physical locations, socio-economic classes, education, spiritual endeavors and more all come together to create culture.
And seeking help for mental illness is not seen the same across cultures. No one culture fully accepts mental health as common, as mentioned, society is still full of skeptics, even with one in five adults and one in 10 children being affected by mental illness.
National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month
However, minority communities seem the hardest impacted by challenges in overcoming mental illness. Minority communities have historically had limited access to proper care, due to many factors. Whether limited or lack of employment or resources, cultural bias against minority communities leading to missed diagnoses or misdiagnosis, and more. In July 2008, National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month was established to work toward better care.
The campaign is focused on raising awareness about how important mental health is to overall health and seeks to remove the stigma surrounding it. The National Alliance on Mental Illness or NAMI states, “Mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background.” NAMI has a great repository of information of how diverse communities are affected by mental health conditions.
Seeking help for mental health
But the continuing message is for those who need help to seek it out; to invest in self care no matter what others may think. Recently Darryl McDaniels “DMC” of the rap group Run DMC appeared in a video in which he briefly outlines his journey through depression and addiction and seeking out help. In his vulnerable recounting of what happened he says he realized he did not, and that no one should be ashamed of their condition.
“If you don’t admit how you feel, you can never heal,” McDaniels says passionately.
If you need care for a mental health concern, contact a professional. Many cities have programs in place to assist those in need. Many people often suffer silently not realizing those no- or lower-cost options are available.
In North Texas, the Holiner Group has two locations to assist you. Simply fill out our online contact form or call the Dallas or McKinney location and we will be happy to help. Mental illness doesn’t discriminate, anyone can be affected, and everyone deserves to be healthy. You are worth it.