Mental Illness Awareness Week

Join us for Mental Illness Awareness Week

Mental Illness Awareness Week takes place from October 3-9, 2021.
National Depression Screening Day is October 7 and World Mental Health Day is October 10.

This year, Mental Health America (MHA) will raise awareness of mental health conditions that are often misunderstood or aren't discussed much at all. We chose this theme after listening to our community, many of whom felt that their diagnoses weren't in the forefront of the mental health conversation. These conditions include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Dissociative Disorders, Paranoia and Delusional Disorders, and other conditions that don't fit into specific diagnoses - known as Not Otherwise Specified (NOS).

Each day during Mental Illness Awareness Week, we will focus our efforts on a single category to drive home a consistent message:

Sunday, October 3: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Monday, October 4: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Tuesday, October 5: Borderline Personality Disorder
Wednesday, October 6: Dissociation and Dissociative Disorders
Thursday, October 7: Seasonal Affective Disorder
Friday, October 8: Paranoia and Delusional Disorders
Saturday, October 9: Not Otherwise Specified (NOS)

MHA developed brand-new fact sheets to share what life is like with these often
misunderstood conditions that you can download by filling out the form below.

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day is Sunday, October 10! This World Mental Health Day, we will focus on some of the incredible global results of our MHA Screening program.

Check out our brand-new infographic for World Mental Health Day 2021

National Depression Screening Day

National Depression Screening Day is Thursday, October 7! We are focusing on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) that day because of the important overlap with depression and the approaching winter season. Taking a mental health screen at MHAScreening.org is one of the quickest and easiest ways to determine whether you are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition. Screening helps catch problems early - B4Stage4.

A screening only takes a few minutes, and after you are finished you will be given information about the next steps you should take based on the results. A screening is not a diagnosis, but it can be a helpful tool for starting a conversation with your doctor or a loved one about your mental health. Screening for mental health conditions should be just as normal as screening for cancer, diabetes, heart disease, or any other chronic health condition.

Please join us in sharing our screening tool to provide confidential, anonymous screens to anyone in need.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Share what #mentalillnessfeelslike to you.

Share what life with ADHD, OCD, BPD, and more feels like for you in words, images, or video by tagging your social media posts with #mentalillnessfeelslike. Posts will be displayed at mhanational.org/feelslike where you can also submit anonymously if you choose.

You're helping by:

Speaking up about your own experiences;
Helping others who may be struggling to explain what they are going through to figure out if they are showing signs of a mental illness;
Breaking down the discrimination and stigma surrounding mental illnesses; and
Showing others that they are not alone in their feelings and their symptoms.

We will be posting all over social media, so please join us in conversations on:

EVENTS

MENTAL NOTES: Virtual Concert Benefitting Mental Health America

Presented by the Hot Topic Foundation and hosted by Mikey Way, MENTAL NOTES is a virtual concert happening on World Mental Health Day, Oct. 10, 2021, featuring exclusive musical performances from your favorite artists and appearances from special guests. All proceeds from ticket sales go to MHA to support our mission.

Learn more and get your tickets: https://www.hottopic.com/mental-notes/

Our Future In Mind Summit

MHA and IDONTMIND present Our Future In Mind: Mental Health Summit, a live free two day event this November 5 and 6. The first of its kind, this event will give you a front row seat to the stories behind some of the biggest movements in mental health and the tools you will need to be part of the change. The entire two-day summit will be streamed live on Youtube November 5 from 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm EST and November 6 from 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm EST.

Learn more and register for this free event: https://idontmind.com/ourfutureinmind

SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS

Click here to download graphics to share for Mental Illness Awareness Week

SUGGESTED LANGUAGE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA

Sun.	For #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek, each day Mental Health America will raise awareness of what it is like to live with a mental health condition that isn’t often discussed or is commonly misunderstood - OCD, BPD, and dissociative disorders. Learn more at mhanational.org/miaw. In conversations about mental health, #depression and #anxiety can dominate the focus. For #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek, Mental Health America is highlighting lesser-known conditions to dispel stigma and cultivate compassion. Join the conversation at mhanational.org/miaw. You may have heard of OCD in conversation or in the media. People will often misuse the term to talk about being strict about certain things or cleanliness, but that’s not what OCD is. Learn more about OCD for #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek at mhanational.org/miaw. #MIAW21 #DYK that hair-pulling (trichotillomania) and skin-picking (dermatillomania) are obsessive-compulsive-related disorders? They have become more common since the outbreak of COVID-19. Learn more about these behaviors at mhanational.org/miaw. #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MIAW21
Mon.	When you think of ADHD, you may imagine a child who can’t focus or sit still. But ADHD is so much more than that, which leads to a lot of people being mis- or undiagnosed until adulthood. Learn more about ADHD at mhanational.org/miaw. #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MIAW21
Tues.	Even in the mental health community, people living with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) can be ostracized or misunderstood. But BPD is more common than you think. Learn more about BPD at mhanational.org/miaw. #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MIAW21
Wed.	Dissociation and dissociative disorders are incredibly stigmatized due to media that rely on toxic portrayals for cheap thrills. But dissociation is a pretty common experience. Learn more at mhanational.org/miaw. #MIAW21 #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek
Thurs.	Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is real and just as detrimental to your physical and mental wellbeing as #depression. The winter months are fast approaching so learn more about SAD at mhanational.org/miaw. #MIAW21 #NationalDepressionScreeningDay #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Screening increases the chances of getting treatment and the earlier depression is caught and treated, the less it costs and the better the results. Get screened at MHAscreening.org. #NationalDepressionScreeningDay If you think you’re experiencing signs of #depression, get screened at MHAScreening.org. A screening is not a diagnosis, but it can be a helpful tool for starting a conversation with your doctor or a loved one about your mental health. #NationalDepressionScreeningDay
Thurs.
Fri.	Paranoia and delusional disorders are incredibly misunderstood and stigmatized. People who experience paranoid and delusions deserve compassion and understanding for recovery and reconnection. Learn more at mhanational.org/miaw. #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #MIAW21
Sat.	For a lot of people, their struggles with mental health don’t fit into the neat boxes outlined in the DSM-V for a diagnosis and finding the right combination of supports can be daunting. For those with unspecified mental health concerns, labels may be less important than finding the tools that work for them. Learn more at mhanational.org/miaw. #MIAW21 #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek