May is Mental Health Awareness

May is mental health awareness month. This month we try to raise awareness of how common mental health struggles truly are and we try to reduce the stigma around talking about it or about getting help.

Did you know that 1 in 5 (46.6 million) adults in the US experience a mental health condition in any given year?

Did you know that on average there is an 11-year delay between someone experiencing symptoms and starting treatment?

Mental health problems are not some sort of moral or spiritual failure, and seeking help is not weakness.

When I was a teen and young adult, I struggled Major Depression. I went to therapy and I got on meds for a time and I worked really hard to get better. But from the outside I looked just fine, from a distance. And I faced stigma, I faced people dismissing how I felt as simply teen angst or being melodramatic, when I felt I was hanging on by a thread.

You are not alone. And you don’t have to suffer alone. If you or someone you know is struggling reach out for help. We are fortunate here in San Diego to have a lot of resources. Some of those resources are: National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Up2SD, Depression/Bipolar Alliance and 211.

Crisis Resources:

San Diego Crisis line 888-724-7240

Trans Lifeline 877-565-8860