Creating Social Awareness

Talk about your feelings to encourage others to speak up. Most people don't openly talk about how they're feeling, especially when they're depressed, making them feel as if they're completely alone. By talking to friends, family members, and acquaintances about your own feelings, you'll encourage other people to do the same.

Talking to others about depression gives confidence to people struggling with depression, encouraging them to talk about their own experiences or get help

Use books and movies to casually bring up depression. Watch a movie about a character going through depression, or read a book that delves into the topic of mental health. If you're talking to a friend and don't know how to bring up the topic, start a conversation about the book or movie for a more natural talk.

For example, you could say, "I read this book last week about a girl struggling with depression, and it got me thinking about my own struggles and hardships."

Spread the message that depression is a real illness. Depression is sometimes talked about as if it’s just all in someone’s head, or it’s not a real illness. This isn’t true, and helping people understand that depression is real will help spread awareness. You can do this by telling others facts and statistics related to depression.

For example, create flyers and posters with statistics about how many people suffer from depression and how often it's overlooked, making sure to say where you got the information.

Talk to people about how depression can be treated.

Share your own personal story to motivate others. If you’re comfortable with sharing your own struggles, feelings, or thoughts, both good and bad, talk to others about the things you’ve experienced. This not only helps start the conversation, but it encourages others to share their own stories as well while showing them they’re not alone.

Encourage friends, family members, coworkers, and acquaintances to take online screening tests for mental health. These ask questions such as how you’ve been feeling lately,.

Educate yourself about mental illness, depression, and suicide. Take some time to read scholarly articles on these topics, read books, or even watch films that delve into depression or mental illness. It’s also important to learn the signs and symptoms of depression so that you know what to look for.

For example, there are many different kinds of depression, including major depression, postpartum depression, seasonal depression, and bipolar depression, among others.

Try to relate the things which make you happy and feel comfortable,encourage people to stay with people they love who give them importance.

Signs of depression might include pessimism, trouble concentrating, loss of interest in things you once enjoyed, insomnia, or suicidal thoughts.

Write a blog post to help educate others about depression. By writing a blog post, you'll be able to write about depression and mental illness in much more depth than you would on social media. Put lots of factual information into your blog post, but make it personal as well.

• Share the details of a personal story that deals with overcoming an obstacle or getting through a particularly sad or difficult time, talking about how you dealt with these feelings.
• Share the link to your blog post so that others can read it, either by posting it on social media, sending it through email, or texting it to friends and family.

Use your social media platforms to bring attention to depression. Social media reaches a wide audience, and it’s an easy way to enlighten others. When creating your post, talk about why raising awareness for depression is important, legitimize it as a disease, and include specific links for people who are struggling with depression.

• You can also include links to articles that go into the topic of depression in more detail.
• Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter work well for bringing attention to depression.

1. Talk about it. Ask people how they’re doing and mean it! Always be ready to listen and encourage. Ask questions and never judge.
2. Share your story. Have you personally struggled or currently struggle with mental illness? Don’t hesitate to tell friends and family about it. Your story can encourage others to ask for help.
3. Read about it. Educate yourself about mental illness and suicide. Learn about the signs and symptoms and where to receive help in your area.
4. Talk to loved ones about how they are feeling. Regularly check in with those close to you, especially if you know they are dealing with a mental illness.
5. Talk about mental health with your children. Don’t assume kids are too young to understand. Depression can affect children in elementary school.
6. Distribute educational information from Screening for Mental Health. Our mental health screening kits contain great informational handouts and flyers that explain mental health issues and encourage awareness.
7. Volunteer with local mental health awareness organizations. The National Alliance on Mental Illness is a great place to start.
8. Write a blog post about mental health awareness. Include up-to-date statistics and facts on mental health and always include information on where people can find help.
9. Encourage your or your child’s school to start a suicide prevention program. Screening for Mental Health offers evidence based programs. Learn about them at our website.
10. Spread the word about Screening for Mental Health’s social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
11. Use hashtags on social media. #MHSM (mental health social media) is a great place to start. We promote #NDSD during National Depression Screening Day… join the discussion!
12. Be a supportive friend. Sometimes spreading mental health awareness can simply mean supporting and listening to those close to us.
13. Watch out for bullying at school or in the office. Bullying can lead to many difficulties including depression. Be aware of destructive behavior around you and report it to a trusted adult when necessary.
14. Learn the signs and symptoms of depression. Know what to watch for in yourself and those around you. Symptoms can be different in men and women.
15. Encourage friends and family to eat healthy for mental health. Good nutrition can make a difference in how we feel. Healthy fats, carbohydrates, and fruits and vegetables are all important.
16. Organize group workouts with friends to improve your mental health. Exercise is a great mood booster and is even more effective when you spend time with friends! Educate yourself on the issues and get involved.

By: Ishtha Shreya (India)

Source: https://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/blog/25-ways-you-can-impact-mental-health-awareness-in-your-community