Hello, all it’s #mentalhealthmonday. Since this is our first topic post and our first mental health post we are just going to do a little overview of mental illnesses.

“Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities” (American Physiatrics Association, 2018). Some key stats: 19% of US adults experience some form of mental illness, it often negatively affects family life, relationships, and ability to adapt or change. However, friends, IT IS TREATABLE. Most times (not all) mental illness can stem from childhood and it is important to be aware of signs of anxiousness or being worried often, poor concentration, self harm or harm to others, changes of eating habits or overuse (start of use) of harmful or even over the counter substances, and many more behaviors. Today’s post is a message to speak up for others and yourself, if you feel you may be struggling with your mental health please reach out to a medical professional, or if that may seem overbearing ask a friend to help with making these arrangements with you. You are not alone. You are enough, You are worthy, and You are loved. Today’s resource is NAMI or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and you can find more information and resources at https://www.nami.org/. Please feel free to comment with additional resources and information.