Let's Talk Depression and Mental Health
Hey there beauties! We hope you had a fantastic week and are feeling incredibly empowered today, as you should every day! As you know, Slick Chicks always tries to tackle the tough topics; topics that most might consider taboo. Today, our topic of choice is that of depression and mental health. We hope that talking openly about about depression and mental illness will increase understanding and decrease stereotypes, eventually erasing the stigma and allowing people to feel safe to have an honest conversation about mental illness and/or depression.
It is completely normal to feel depressed every once in a while. Perhaps, a love one passed, you lost a job you were crazy about, or maybe you’re just facing an unexpected situation. Life can most definitely throw us curve balls when we aren't looking. The fact is that both mental illness and depression is something that millions of people across the world struggle with on a daily basis. Sadly, it does not discriminate.
Did you know depression and mental illness actually are the leading causes of disability for individuals ages 15 to 44 in the United States? The World Health Organization clearly states that 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. In the United States alone, 9% of the country battles this issue, with 3.4% of the cases becoming severe and needing professional intervention.
The problem these days with mental health stigmatization is that often people who are affected feel like if they speak out about how they are feeling or their issues, they may be judged or even ostracized from their peer group, family, or community. Society tends to forget that mental illness can be and often is biological, meaning that the individual was (as Lady Gaga says) "Born This Way".
Our mission with this blog is to not only bring awareness, but also to simply state that mental health issues affect 1 in 4 people every year. Therefore, no one should feel ashamed. By sharing our experiences and not being afraid to speak the words, "I need help" when we feel we do, together we can eradicate the stigma. Here at Slick Chicks, we are MASSIVE advocates of speaking openly and freely about mental health.
In the same respect, we are aware that not everyone is going to be empathic and understanding about the topic at hand. With this in mind, we simply ask you to think, what if it was you? How would you want to be treated, viewed or helped? Compassion is the key! Mental illness and depression are no laughing matter. Everyone deserves to be treated equally and with love!
We want attitude change and to see discrimination erased towards individuals with mental health issues. This will ensure that people feel safe, happy, and included in their own communities. We all know how hard it is to open up and talk about a topic like mental health, but you must remember that sometimes doing the smallest of things can make the biggest difference!
Many organizations offer support groups, counseling, and many other resources that may help a person who is dealing with depression and/or mental illness. It is imperative that if you find yourself in a state of depression you make use of such resources. Also, it’s important that you do your best to participate in social activities, in order to avoid isolation.
Learning a bit about mental health just might make it that much easier to be there for someone when they need you the most. Today, we ask you, our readers, to share in the comment section below any positive comments, personal stories, useful tools or links that you think could help someone else. Most importantly, don't be afraid to talk about it!
At Slick Chicks our Mission is to EMPOWER ALL! Our constant desire is to be on the front lines of change and inclusion for all people! So as of today, we are taking action! Our goal is to motivate society to be different, and discuss depression and mental health.
For more information on depression and/or mental health, please visit the sites below:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
National Alliance on Mental Health
As always, don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter, keep reading the blogs, and visit us on social media to stay updated on all the latest Slick Chicks news.
See ya in your skivvies!
Shannon and the Slick Chicks Team
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