MIAW Day 2: We need more conversations about mental health experiences.

Though rarely mentioned, anxiety, depression, paranoia, schizo-effective disorders are all a part of my family experiences. Like the turkey at Thanksgiving, all of our experiences (spiritual, physical, and yes mental) show up rain or shine.

While we freely talk about everything else, it’s time to break the silence and normalize discussions about our mental health experiences.

Let’s begin with 5 facts about mental health:

Your mental health can change over time: Mental health is dependent on many factors and this means that a person’s mental health can change over time due to circumstances.

Mental health problems are very common: In the U.S., statistics reveal that there are about one in 20 people with a serious mental illness.

There is no single cause: Several factors can contribute to the risk of suffering from a mental illness.

Children can also have mental health issues: About 50% of children show the first signs of mental health disorders before 14 years old, and three-quarters of mental health disorders begin before age 24.

There are hundreds of mental health illnesses: There are more than 200 types of mental illness.

What can we do?

We need to have more mental health conversations. Often times, people experiencing mental health challenges feel isolated and alone. Just like we freely share everything else, let's begin to share the mental health experiences as well.

We can become more engaged with our family and friends who are experiencing challenges with their mental health by checking up on them and asking questions like:

• Are you ok?
• What does "ok" mean for you?
• How are your really feeling today?
• What can I do to support you during this time?"

We can become more aware of and sensitive to how normal mental health experiences impact us as individuals and those around us.

We can become more willing to share our individual and your family's history of mental health experiences.

We can learn more about how our mental health is connected to every aspect of our daily lives.

We can start a conversation about our family's mental health experiences.

We can join a conversation and learn more about support for mental health challenges.

We need more conversations about our mental health experiences.

Today's 5 facts about mental health is courtesy of National Today. Click the link to learn more.