May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Celebs like Lizzo and Prince Harry help ease the Stigma

May is Mental Health Awareness Month (also referred to as “Mental Health Month”) where we increase awareness of mental illness and mental disease by education and through many open discussions and activities throughout the world.  MHAM has been observed in May in the United States since 1949, reaching millions of people in the United States through the media, local events, and screenings.

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

More and more, big name celebrities are coming out with their own struggles with Mental Health, helping to ease the stigma that often surrounds the struggle.  Recently, superstar Lizzo opened up about her mental health in a video posted to TikTok where the singer spoke about feeling sad and the difficulty in finding someone to talk to about it. And Prince Harry has been opening up more about his mental health since stepping down from his role as a senior working member of the royal family. In addition to his new mental health series titled The Me You Can’t See and his role as chief impact officer at BetterUp, Harry recently spoke about his journey with therapy on an episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast.

Even though everyday is mental illness or mental health day, May is a very important month for all of us, so, it’s time to break out your green ribbons, or just wear the color green to help spread the word.

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Photo Credit:  Bart Lenoir / Shutterstock.com