Ways to gently advocate for mental health

Mental Health Stigma: Airing our “Dirty Laundry”

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Paulissa Kipp  

Ways to Gently Advocate for Mental Health

1.        Wear a mental health awareness ribbon. The color for mental health awareness is lime green, representative of bring mental health into the limelight and out of the shadows.

2.        Tell your truth. Stand up and share your journey. Yes, people listen when a celebrity talks about it but everyday people are courageous today. Any day that you get up and face the dragon and decide to live joyfully and with the superpower of ANYWAY, is courageous.

3.        Be part of the conversation when mental health legislation and approaches are being discussed.

4.        Remind people that it isn’t dirty laundry. For many of us, it is our reality.

5.        Download some facts from the National Institutes of Mental Health and share those facts when confronted with stigma.

The most important thing that a person with a mental health condition can do to combat stigma is to practice passionate self-care and know that asking for help is not weak.  It is the act of a phoenix rising.