Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is celebrated annually in the first week of October. This event has been held since 1990, when it was officially implemented by Congress. This year, the theme for MIAW is “What I Wish I Knew”. People can take advantage of this event if they are inexperienced but want to opt for therapy or are looking to become more mentally aware. For people who are beginning their journey towards therapy, knowledge and openness to a new lifestyle is essential. But before we dive into how to get the most out of this event, let’s take a look at how mental illness is defined.
definition of mental illness
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)-V, mental illnesses consist of the following problems:-
Clinically recognized, or considered for clinical recognition,
Characterized by disturbed perception (thoughts and mental processes), emotions, or behaviors.
– and engage The basic mental processes of the patient.
Some of the well-known mental disorders are clinical depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), etc. The disorder or dysfunction can lead to:-
unstable mood swings,
– withdraw or isolate themselves,
– has less energy,
– Struggling with sleeping habit,
– Stay away from peers, and much more.
Read more: mental health awareness test
The need for mental health awareness
Mental health affects everyone. It’s not just people with these disorders. It changes the way people deal, interact and cooperate with others. Loved ones and peers with a mental health condition play an important role in their ability to manage their health condition. Mental health affects the workplace or the economy, too. For example, mental health affects burnout, job performance, and job satisfaction.
Online support groups, forums and collaborations help greatly in spreading mental health awareness across society and communities. A wide spectrum of people gather to make this event a success. For example, people who have undergone treatment successfully recover, and on the other hand, those who are just starting to seek treatment.
Read more: Top 22 Mental Health Awareness Blogs
Mental Illness Awareness Week 2022
Each day of Mental Illness Awareness Week is dedicated to a specific topic. People who have undergone treatment will share their actual experiences. They would focus on something that would have benefited their treatment if they had known beforehand. The issues to be addressed include:-
Stigma: Monday 3 October
Treatment: Tuesday 4 October
Medication: Wednesday, October 5th
Disclosure: Thursday, October 6
Sponsorship: Friday 7 October
So how can you make the most of this event? Listen, and hear the different points of view that people have to offer. Talk to a friend with a mental illness about these issues and make sure they agree. You can also educate others with the knowledge you receive from this event and start changing your approach to mental health.
conclusion
Mental Illness Awareness Week is an event held in the first week of October every year since 1990. It aims to raise awareness for those in crisis and provide useful resources for dealing with mental illness. One of the problems facing community mental health is the wide spread of misinformation and misinformation online. As conscious citizens, we can prevent it from spreading by being informed and aware through reliable sources.
Here is a list The most reliable mental health awareness sites to help you do the same.
To learn more about mental illness and self-care and its impact on society, subscribe to Your mental health.
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