Mental Health Awareness Month

May isn't only for celebrating mothers it is also for bringing awareness to the general public about mental health issues.  There is such a great stigma about mental illness.  It affects everyone around you no matter age, sex, race, or religion.  1 in 3 people are affected by debilitating depression, anxiety, or panic attacks at one point in their lives.  It could be your husband, your teenage son or daughter, it even affects adolescents as young as 5 and 6.  Just remember it is all around you. You may not suffer from it yourself but chances are you know someone who is dealing with it right now in their own lives.  Depression, anxiety, and panic attacks are NOT a sign of weakness! They are signs of having tried to remain calm for too long!  If you are suffering let it be know to someone you trust.  If you are close to someone who is suffering.....(even though truthfully it will be very difficult) lend a helping hand and try not to judge.  People who suffer from any form of mental illness (including myself)  are doing just that, suffering.  Life is hard enough but when you have a debilitating illness that isn't actually visible to those around you it makes healing and recovering a very miserable process.  Mental health advocates ask those of us who are mentally ill or know someone who is mentally ill to take a stand against stigma.  Wear a lime green ribbon to represent you or your loved ones.  When people ask you what it's for.....proudly tell them that you are fighting to break the stigma of mental health issues.  Join the fight for a group of people who want nothing more than normalcy in their lives!