Page 10 - May 8

M i n i s t ry O p p o r t u n i t i e s

WELLNESS MINISTRY MINUTE

MAY is Mental Health, Lupus, Stroke, and Speech and Hearing Awareness Month

Every year millions of Americans face the reality of living with a mental illness. After the last two years of
pandemic living, many people are realizing that stress, isolation, and uncertainty have taken a toll on
their well-being. Mental health is an incredibly important part of overall health. With a growing number of
Americans experiencing mental health symptoms, we need to join together to advocate for improving
our nation’s mental health system.

What is Mental Health?
Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological, and social well-being and impacts how we think,
feel, and behave. Mental health is important to every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence
through adulthood. It plays a role in connecting with others, making decisions, handling stress, and
many other aspects of daily life. People with mental health issues are NOT “crazy.” Everyone has
mental health, and it deserves your attention as much as your physical health. You can have times of
poor mental health without having a diagnosable condition – just like you can be generally unhealthy
without having a particular illness. Contributing factors to mental health problems include:
 Biological factors, such as genes or brain chemistry
 Life experiences, such as trauma or abuse
 Family history of mental health problems

Treatment and Recovery:

The first step to improving mental health problems is getting help. Treatment and recovery are on-
going processes that happen over time. For most people, some combination of lifestyle changes, thera-
py, medication, and support are helpful for treatment mental illness. Everyone is different - some of
these may be more effective than others for certain conditions. Discuss your mental health concerns
with your health care provider as soon as possible and together, you can make a treatment plan that
works for you.

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