Local organizations observing May as Mental Health Awareness Month

JACKSON, TN (WNBJ) - With the month of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, people across the nation are really paying extra attention to this special topic.

The awareness month was established to help improve the overall health and well-being of people across the nation. This year the awareness month taking a renewed sense of importance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many Americans across the country have struggled tremendously during the pandemic because of the added mental stress. Whether they dealt with job loss, a death in the family, or isolation due to COVID restrictions this past year has taken its toll on people.

“One in five Americans throughout this past year have dealt with mental health issues. Although with the pandemic it has probably been a little bit more, these numbers rise and will keep rising unless we bring more focus on mental health issues,” said Amanda Johnson, a Public Health Educator at Jackson-Madison county Health Deptament.

Three-time survivor of depression Steve Beverly wants to encourage everyone dealing with mental health issues to speak out and seek help because that breaks the cycle of suffering in silence and starts the healing process.

“With every conversation that we can have about mental illness it helps us to strip away the stigma so that people after us won’t have to go through this idea well, we are going compartmentalize you in this category over here. It helps us to be able to get more people healed,” said Steve Beverly, Professor Emeritus at Union University.

Seeking professional help is the number one approach when dealing with mental health issues, but the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health says another tactic to combat mental health issues is mind and body treatments. Some people find that being active and outside is beneficial to their well-being.

The state of Tennessee has a crisis line where you can seek help when needed, that number is 855-CRISIS-1.

You can also seek help at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.