Mental Health Month Day 13

It’s a warm and sunny day here in southern West Virginia, and I hope all of you are having just as lovely Sundays. Although I claim to love dark and stormy days the best (and I do love them), I almost always feel energized and refreshed in the sunshine.

It was earlier this morning as I was re-reading an article in an old issue of the WebMD magazine (the July/August 2006 issue, and the Bipolar Disorder: Managing the Balancing Act article, if you’re interested), when I decided on today’s Mental Health Month tip.

While the article deals mainly with coping with bipolar disorder, it also touches on how important it is for people with mental illnesses to have support and understanding from friends and family members.

It is truly important. When a person is diagnosed with a mental health condition – whether it’s depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder, or any other anxiety or cognitive disorder – he or she has a rough enough time trying to cope with it internally. Without external support from family and friends, the battle can feel impossibly hopeless.

If you’ve been diagnosed with a mental illness, help your friends and family members become educated. If you are the friend or family member, educate yourself. Support is crucial to managing mental health.

Check out these sites for information and ideas:

• Mental Illness and the Family: Recognizing Warning Signs and How to Cope

• Fact Sheets: Coping with Mental Illness in the Family

• Supporting Friends and Family Who Have Mental Illnesses (.pdf from MentalHealthAmerica.net)

How has support, or lack of, affected you? What steps have you taken to educate your family and friends, or yourself, about mental health?