Mental Illness Awareness Week: Experience, Strength, and Hope

Those who have been touched by the cold hand of addiction know the deadly nature of stigma. Even in recovery, society still casts aspersions upon men and women. Many people still have an aversion toward living next to treatment centers and sober living homes. It’s proof that misunderstanding is still pervasive in America.

The plight of those living with mental illness is to deal with shame both in active addiction and in recovery. Imagine if a person with cancer was ostracized; then imagine a community still treating them different after being fortunate to have their disease go into remission. You can’t. Mental illness is one of a handful of severe medical conditions that patients are treated like pariahs in their community.

Stigma is nothing new; it’s one of the reasons that programs like Alcoholics Anonymous prioritize anonymity. Even though recovering addicts and alcoholics prove time and again to be productive members of society, they still cannot shake stereotypes.

Each year, experts in the field of mental illness commit themselves to help educate and enlighten the general public about psychological conditions. They encourage friends, families, employers, and schools to support better the millions of Americans who deal with symptoms of mental health disorders.

Organizations like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) promote the idea that love can cure stigma. When men and women are hesitant to seek assistance, it affects all of society. NAMI reports that mood disorders are the most common cause of hospitalization for all people in the U.S. under age 45. Moreover, across the U.S. economy, serious mental illness causes $193.2 billion in lost earnings each year.

NAMI adds that depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Anxiety and depression cost the global economy $1 trillion in lost productivity each year. At the heart of these statistics is that mental health affects all of society.

Mental Illness Awareness Week 2019

Today is the last day of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW). At Celebrate Hope, we would like to encourage you to take a moment today to join the movement. The effort to end stigma is a seminal cause in this day and age. What’s more, men and women in recovery are in a unique position to end the stigma that continues to hold them down.

Just as people in recovery are best able to help others stay sober, they are also able to help the general public see mental illness in a different light. Observances like MIAW, Mental Health Awareness Month, and National Recovery Month impel people in recovery to share their experience.

People struggling with mental illness need to know that they are not alone, and men and women in recovery can help to that end. NAMI has several campaigns and forums to guide individuals and help them to encourage others toward the light of recovery.

One person’s experience, strength, and hope can have a ripple effect; people in recovery must never discount the impact they can have on another person. Millions of people who need assistance can find empowerment from men and women in recovery.

Please click this link to learn how you can become involved in the movement to end stigma and inspire recovery. NAMI asks you to consider:

“You can make a difference for yourself and others by sharing your experiences and perspective. What has helped? What hasn’t? What has been most discouraging about your condition? What has given you hope?” 

Faith-based Addiction Treatment Center

If you or a loved one is battling addiction or a dual diagnosis, please contact Celebrate Hope. We have many programs and services that help men and women learn how to lead healthy productive lives in recovery. (888) 350-6910