Mental Health Awareness Week
Start Date: 08/05/2017
End Date: 14/05/2017
This week (8 – 14 May) is Mental Health Awareness week, promoted and supported by the Mental Health Foundation (MHF).
Its purpose is to remind us that both the challenge of mental distress and the goal of positive mental health are of concern to us all.
It’s widely accepted that around 1 in 4 of us will experience significant mental ill-health at some point in our lives. This may be acute or more enduring, perhaps even life-long. But with the right supports, it’s possible to achieve and maintain good mental wellbeing even while managing a mental illness.
In any event, being mentally and emotionally well is more than being ‘not ill’. It can be about thriving rather than surviving. Positive mental health is about feeling good about ourselves as we live, work, relate, learn and grow while dealing with life’s challenges, opportunities and relationships.
There’s much that we can do as individuals and communities to, not only respond supportively to distress and illness, but to pursue good positive mental wellbeing.
‘Good Mental Health for ALL’ is the title of Moray’s MH strategy 2016-2026 (PDF), it’s worth a look. There’s more info about Moray mental health initiatives and opportunities on the Wellbeing Hub.
Below are some links to national resources:
- See Me Scotland: Scotland’s campaign to overcome stigma about mental illness
- Scottish Association for Mental Health
- MIND: a well-established national (UK) charity and authority in the field of Mental Health