5 Actions to Take During Mental Health Awareness Month — aSweatLife

I have major depressive disorder, complex PTSD, and was recently diagnosed with BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder). However, I don’t let these random acronyms define me. I know that they don’t encapsulate who I am — they’re just new vocabulary to help guide my treatment plans and explain the effects of my past trauma. When I first received my diagnoses, I felt relieved because I finally had the language to be able to describe what I was going through. It felt like a battle I was waging in my mind, and after my diagnosis, it finally shifted to a battle I could comprehend and take control of.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, mental illnesses are extremely common in the United States. Nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness (51.5 million in 2019). The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have also exacerbated this issue: quarantine isolation and job losses have negatively affected many people’s mental health while also creating new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and disorders.

Today and every day, we need to destigmatize #mentalhealth. Oftentimes, when suffering from mental health issues, we feel alienated from others-when in reality, mental health issues are so prevalent and common in our society. It’s heartbreaking to…