May is National Mental Health Awareness Month.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the 2022 theme is “Together for Mental Health.”

“Together, we can realize our shared vision of a nation where anyone affected by mental illness can get the appropriate support and quality of care to live healthy, fulfilling lives,” NAMI’s website states.

All too often, people hide their mental health problems and suffer in silence. There is a widespread stigma surrounding mental health problems.

“Just get over it.”

“You just need to choose to be happy.”

“Smile more; it’ll help your mood.”

Contrary to popular belief, these comments do not help. And when a person suffering from mental health problems can’t simply “get over it,” they feel guilty and like a burden to others around them.

Don’t even get me started on the whole “crazy” thing. Many of us have been raised under the assumption that if you are taking medication to alter your mental chemistry, there is something wrong with you and you need to keep it quiet so you don’t scare those around you.

“Nearly 450 million people worldwide are currently living with a mental illness, yet nearly two-thirds of people with a known mental illness never seek treatment,” according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.

We need to break this stigma and support each other.

On a personal note, a good friend of mine started going to therapy and just recently started a new antidepressant regiment. Instead of awkwardly and uncomfortably brushing this news away, we celebrated her efforts to balance her mental chemistry.

She came over for a movie night, and it made my heart soar to see how happy and healthy she looked. There was a light in her eyes and a liveliness in her movement I hadn’t seen in a while.

Not everyone requires medication to take care of their mental health. For some of us, it’s simply rephrasing our perspectives or taking time to do something for ourselves.

I currently work four part-time jobs, so my schedule is pretty tight. I don’t have a lot of time to myself, so I protect my mental health by shifting the way I look at things and seizing my “me time.” My personal escape from my problems is physical exercise, so I have two small, manageable exercises I do daily. They take me approximately five minutes, but it’s five minutes to myself.

Showing solidarity together is an important step in fighting the stigma around mental illness and promoting positive mental health practices. Recovery Partnership is hosting the seventh annual Lehigh Valley Mental Health Awareness Walk 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 6 at Danny Rice Fields, 100 W. Lehigh St., Bethlehem. The event is sponsored by both Lehigh and Northampton counties.

The important thing is understanding where you are mentally and taking care of yourself. If you need to remove yourself from a situation to avoid anxiety, stress or other triggers, do it. Don’t apologize or feel badly for doing what you need to do.

Conversely, don’t make others feel badly for taking that time and/or space. Offering your support and understanding will go a long way toward making your friends and family feel comfortable and safe.

Samantha Anderson

editorial assistant

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Catasauqua Press

Northampton Press