May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the Southwest Regional Mental Health Board is inviting the Fairfield County community to attend to one of over 50 events open to the public.
May is all about bringing awareness to mental health issues and available resources, this is why Southwest Regional Mental Health Board is asking people the community of Fairfield County to support the cause by attending the events they’re setting up.
The schedule for this events includes a free screening of the new social action documentary Healing Voices, which is part of a global premiere; a free Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training to qualified participants; Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) trainings such as Adult and Youth modules and the first ever Spanish-language MHFA courses in Connecticut; a laughter yoga program for young adults, a Behavioral Health Listening Forum as part of CT’s new State Innovation Model project; two presentations on the relationship between nutrition and mental illness, one for behavioral health providers and one for community members; and plenty other activities such as art shows, craft activities, wellness fairs, seminars, and music performances.
Mental illness impact
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 43 million Americans have a diagnosable mental disorder. Many factors, like biological ones, life experiences and family history of mental health issues, can contribute to mental health problems.
Mental health affects everyone and can have a huge impact on people’s daily life. This issue influences thoughts, feelings and actions and, depending on the state of one’s mental health, it can rule the ability of people to make decisions, to interact with others and cope with daily stressors.
Just as physical health, mental disorder is a factor of overall wellbeing. Luckily, contrary to many other brain disorders, there’s effective treatment available for mental disorders.
As a matter of fact, in the United States, psychiatric disorders have surpassed disorders like cardiovascular diseases and cancer as the number one cause of disability. According to the reports, mental illness affects 1 in 5 people every year, which has an impact not only on the individuals affected but also on their education, employment, and even their relationship with family and friends.
Source: Fair Field Sun