When we talk about our health, a few words tend to come up before mental health.   Exercise. Diets. Training, nutrition, and that dreaded gym contract, for instance. All of which is important, obviously, but it’s important not to forget you’re more than “just” your body. Roughly one-in-five adults in the United States lives with mental illness over the course of a year. This can range from compulsions and undiagnosed depression to serious mental conditions.   Obviously, this is an issue that’s very personal to us, but it has wide-reaching implications for people across the globe, as well.   It’s with this in mind that we’re excited to introduce National Mental Health Month.

A Month For Mental Health

  Started in 1949 by Mental Health America, the National Mental Health Month has become a fixture in the annual mental wellness calendar. With heavy media coverage, hundreds of local events, and thousands of supporters across the globe, it’s a holiday with a lot of meaning to a lot of people.   Themes from recent years have ranged from “Pathways To Wellness” to “Risky Business” (an examination of dangerous behaviors). This, in turn, has gone a long way toward giving the condition an international face.   As a business, we base a lot of our work around the connection between the mind and the body. But what does that mean to us, and for you? Consider some of the following facts:  

• While 80% of visits to primary care doctors result from emotional distress, only 3% of non-psychiatric doctors teach patients proper methods to manage their stress.
• Panic attacks can be directly impactful on a weak heart, with people prone to them working with a roughly 47% higher risk of heart attacks.
• Behavioral changes at an early age can be crucial in helping to prevent a wide range of conditions associated with aging, many of which thousands of people struggle with. 

The point we’re trying to make is that mental health isn’t just about battling depression (which is important, in itself) or developing better socialization skills. It has a direct impact on the body and can be at the center of your self-improvement, or a lot of the problems you might struggle with.   It’s not conjecture – the science is there, and at Total Health Concepts, we’re proud to stand in support of National Mental Health Month. The theme for 2018 is Cure Stigma. Across the world, thousands of people will be helping to spread the word that stigmas and shame make mental illness impossible to identify and work against. With more people aware, and less of a stigma around the idea of mental illnesses, there are far more options for treatment, self-care, and spreading the word.  

National Mental Health Month: Be Aware

  May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. With so many applications and so many people affected by it around the world, it’s easy to see why this is so important to so many people.   For more information, be sure to follow updates on the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s Website. And check out some of our other fantastic blog posts on mental wellness and social improvement, to buy into your own wellness on a deeper level.